She sacrificed herself
by thesewomenrulemyworld
Summary: A curse came to take Regina away. But there' no way in hell Emma would just stand there watching. And so Regina became the Saviour once again.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Based on the finale spoilers and my dream I had afterwards ;) So spoiler alert!

* * *

It was here.

Regina ran. She tried to outrun them all. She tried to save them. She knew the curse was here for her after all.

Still she heard the footsteps heavily stomping against the ground as they ran after her. For once she wanted them to give up on her. She didn't believe there was a way to save her.

"REGINA!" Emma shouted with all the breath remaining in her lungs. She was in better condition than most, so she picked up her pace and left her parents, Hook and Hood behind.

But Regina didn't stop. She tried to run faster.

Until she got to the middle of the town. It took only seconds until the other sets of footsteps stopped in tracks just behind her.

The spell was hanging in the air above them like a thick grey cloud.

All of them were panting and trying to catch their breaths.

"You're. Not. Doing. It." Emma grumbled towards Regina.

"It's the only way-"  
"I won't let you." Emma said fiercely. She knew the look in Regina's eyes. They were wide with fear and the determination Regina claimed with her words to have, it just wasn't there. She wanted there to be other way, but lost hope.

"Emma's right," Snow said and David nodded.  
Robin walked to Regina and tried to pull her into embrace. She quickly sneaked out of it and paced quickly towards the cloud.

It was like the cloud sensed her presence. It started thickening and formed a thorn, floating towards Regina. It has started.

The curse wanted to engulf her whole. Everything she was and used to be.

The curse was making it clear. Upon the cloud, there began to emerge images, as if drawn with pencil. Each scene appeared for only a few moments before transforming into another.

_There was a sketch of beautiful woman, holding her baby up in the air. The image disappeared in smoke, which created another image. The same woman, years older, with a young raven haired daughter, being raised in the air and bound by three bands. The woman was angry. The scene dissipated. The raven haired girl was older and riding a horse. The woman was standing afar with unpleased grimace, the man by her side excited. The girl jumped off the horse, hugged the man and then her face crumbled at something the woman said. The next image reverberated happiness. The raven haired girl was kissing a stable boy._

The curse paralyzed everybody around. Emma breathlessly watched the story playing out in front of her. It made her angry. So angry. She looked at Regina, who was standing and shaking with every inch of her being. She was tortured. And Emma put the pieces together. It was Regina's story.

Emma ran towards her and raised her arms. She focused more than ever to feel the magic rushing through her body. She sent a silver ray towards the cloud. The pencil sketches dispersed, but the cloud didn't lighten.

Regina wanted to help Emma, but she couldn't. The cloud drained all of her magic.

"Swan, NO!"

Emma felt a thud into her body and fell to the ground under the weight of somebody else.

"Hook?! GET. OFF. ME!" she was furiously trying to fight him off, but he refused.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself for the Evil Queen!"

"That's not your decision!" Emma grunted and continued struggling in his embrace. She spotted with corner of her eye, that the story was being narrated again.

_Raven haired girl stood with a happy smile, watching her mother and the boy she kissed. The expression disappeared in a fraction of moment. Her mother buried her hand into the boy's chest and ripped out his heart. She crushed it and the raven haired girl broke down. Fog exchanged the image into a sketch of a wedding, where there stood an old king and the raven haired girl wore the saddest expression fairly hidden behind a mask. Then followed quick memories showing the king leaving his new wife abandoned in the big castle. The king playing with his daughter while his wife was sitting alone at the table, crushed dreams painted on her face. The king taking advantage of his young wife and raping her, while the girl tried to push him away and free herself. _

Emma kicked Hook off herself. She just couldn't watch it anymore. She had known Regina suffered, but this was worse than she could imagine. '_Evil isn't born, it's made.' _she heard Regina's voice reverberating again and again through her head.

Emma shot up to her legs and used her magic to erase the hurtful pictures off the cloud. This time not only the pictures not dissipated, but the thorn withdrew from Regina and floated towards Emma.

"No! Emma no!" Regina shouted and wanted to run towards the Savior to stop her. A pair of strong arms around her chest stopped her and the next moment everyone was paralyzed again.

The course was now pointing towards Emma and showing off her life story.

_A little crying baby stolen from her mother's embrace and put into a wardrobe. The same baby carried by a little boy. The little blond girl in a foster home, fighting with the other kids for attention and touch. The little girl being handed back by unknown foster family. And another and another. The girl running away with a backpack. The girl stealing and meeting her first friend. The heartbroken blonde leaving her first friend. The girl living alone. The girl nearly adult, stealing a yellow bug and meeting a guy. The girl kissing the guy, shining with happiness. The girl crying in prison, holding onto her growing stomach. The girl crying after her baby was taken away. Fragments of her job, chasing bad guys. Henry finding her and leading her home. To him and to Regina. The blonde crying over Graham. Over Neal. A picture of the whole family including Regina in a group hug. _

The last picture faded into a fog.

Emma turned to her parents and Hook.

"Sorry," she mouthed towards them, checking swiftly the closeness of the thorn above her. "I love you," she mouthed to her Mom and Dad. Then she turned to Regina, ignoring Hook behind her, ignoring Hood holding Regina from running.

Emma thought maybe she should say something, but she didn't know how. She hoped her eyes would say it all, because her voice would betray her. All the love was poured into the look she dedicated to Regina.

Regina looked lost and broken once again. Tears were streaming down her face and eyes glued to Emma's, all the desperation and love written in them.

The thorn sank enough to touch the top of Emma's head. The cloud surrounded her and kept darkening until Emma wasn't seen.

"Emma!" Regina's desperate cry pierced the air and it was the last thing Emma would hear. The fog swallowed her and disappeared. Nothing was left behind the curse. Emma was gone.

"No." Mary Margaret whispered, broken, and hid her face in David's chest. They both started crying, clutching onto each other for support. They lost their daughter. Again.

Hook stood there, the shock restraining him from saying or doing anything.

Regina yanked herself free from Robin's tight embrace and ran to the spot where Emma had disappeared. She fell onto the ground and started crying with heart-wrenching sobs.

"Emma no."

_I should have saved you._

_I will find you. _

_I promise I will find you._


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I am so happy for your reviews! I hope you will bear with me if I make it multichapter story? I got an idea for a plot I would love to write... ;)

Nobody knows what to say, so there's silence for a while, pierced only by muffled sobbing of Mary Margaret and Regina. The atmosphere is heavy and draining, even though there are no signs of the curse. And no sign of Emma.

The first one to talk is David. "Let's go home," he whispers with broken voice into Mary Margaret's ear and guides her away from everything. For the second time in their life they try to run away from their fate.

David's voice helped Hook to snap back into reality and without a word, he turned around and walked away in the direction of the docks.

Robin glanced at the three silhouettes disappearing in the distance and then looked at the slumped body of Regina, shaking with the unremitting weeps.

He took a few careful steps towards her and kneeled down with a sigh.

"Regina, it will be alright-" He was trying his best to soothe her. He put his hand on her back, sliding to Regina's hip wanting to take her into an embrace.

As soon as Regina felt the contact, she yanked herself away and her darkened eyes rimmed with redness and tears warned him from touching her again. He backed off instantly, he knew that he shouldn't push her.

He tried again though, his tone soothing and quiet.

"She sacrificed for you so you should-"  
"Do not." Regina stopped him with her voice hoarse and weak, but her glare insistent and sharp.

"Regina-"  
She had enough. She closed her eyes and focused on her magic. The curse tried to suck it out of her all, but as Emma stepped in, she interrupted the process. Regina gritted her teeth to stop another wave of sobs and dug her nails into her palms. She had to…

With that determination, she teleported herself away from Robin. From the place she lost Emma. From the place she was supposed to die at, knowing that her son is safe with his Mama. Then it all went terribly wrong.

She looked around to see where she had ended. She wished to be somewhere safe. So she found herself sitting at the stairs of her house. She was exhausted from the magic drain and from the crying, she didn't even feel the coldness of the stone under herself.

She tried to stand up, and for a moment she thought she had seen Emma in front of her. Like the first day they met. The head tilt and innocent "Hi."

Regina shook her head and picked herself up, stumbling to the door and sliding against them to the floor as soon as she closed them.

Regina opened her eyes and moaned as her stiff neck painfully let her know, she had slept in a bad position again. She looked around and was overflown with confusion, when she realized she was lying against the front door on the cold hard ground. The realization came back to her quickly.

She forbade herself to cry again. She had responsibilities.

She got up and smoothed her dress, checking her appearance in the mirror. She sighed at the reflection. Red swollen eyes and the trails behind mascara left on her cheeks, writing a story of another hurt. She quickly adjusted herself to look presentable. With eyes closed, she attempted a calming breathing technique she learned in the times her anxiety became the most unbearable. The last thing was putting on a mask, a routine which was professionally done by then.

Madam Mayor walked out of her mansion with distinguished clacking of heels.

The Mercedes parked in front of the Sisters of Saint Meissa Convent.

Regina got out of the car and walked towards the door, maintaining a composed expression while worry was eating her alive.

She knocked fiercely and waited.

Tinkerbell peeked through peephole carefully. Regina gulped, but didn't move an inch.

"Is that Mom?" she could hear Henry's voice behind the door.

"Yes, it is!" Tinkerbell exclaimed with an audible relief – they were expecting her sooner than that. She opened the door and in a second, Regina felt Henry's arms circling her in a hug.

"Mom! I'm so glad you're alright, I was so worried! What happened? I knew Emma wouldn't let you in it alone. Where's she?" Henry's words were rushed, but the tone was dropping in his excitement.

Regina's eyes met Tinkerbell's, who wore her worried expression again. Nobody told her anything, but at one point in history, she had known Regina and that was enough.

Regina slipped her arm around Henry's shoulder and guided him out, nodding to Tinkerbell before doing so.

"Henry…" her voice was thick again. "I didn't think there was a way to evade the curse… I wanted to… I wanted to let it consume me, whatever that meant."  
Henry's eyes widened as he realized what that would have meant.

"But Emma didn't give up on me. She stepped in and saved me. She…. She sacrificed herself to save me." Regina said with pain tugging at her heart. She watched Henry's expression, how it portrayed sadness and confusion and a hint of anger – and how she was still able to recognize all of it.

"But- where is she? What happened to her?" Henry pressed in voice full of panic.

"I don't know yet, Henry. My intention was to pick you up and drive you home, and then pay a visit to Rumplestiltskin-"  
"Do you think it was him?"

"I don't know if it was him or not, but he knows the most about magic and curses, he might have some information-"  
"Mom, but with him everything comes with a price." Henry warned her as if she needed reminding.

She hesitated, considering her answer.

_I have lost Emma, that's big enough price. _

_I have lost Emma and I'll find her no matter the price. _

"I know." Regina simply nodded and led her son towards the car.

"I will look into the book for something while you're gone, maybe I find something helpful?" Henry offered when he slipped into his seat. He knew his mother would wish him to be present at her deals with Rumplestiltskin.

"That's splendid idea, dear. If somebody can find something there, it's you."

The car ride was silent. They were both engulfed in their thoughts, planning ways to save Emma or to find out if she was still alive. If Regina learned one thing from Henry, it was hope. So neither of them even considered the option of Emma not being safe.

Regina parked her car at the Mansion and as she stepped out, she saw somebody crouched on the stairs in the front, just like she had been hours ago.

She walked towards the person and noticed that their composure is actually calm.

It was Robin.

"Regina! Here you are!" Robin shot up and rushed towards Regina, wanting to hug her, but for the second time that day, she pulled away.

"What is the matter?" she asked nearly coldly, she wasn't in the mood for dealing with him. Her mind kept screaming Emma's name again and again.

"I wanted to talk." Robin said and paused, looking at Henry, who was standing two steps behind his mother, listening and watching the conversation.

"Well?" Regina raised one eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"May I come in?" Robin motioned towards the door and Regina nodded. They walked in, Henry immediately running up the stairs to his own room, where the book was.

"Please be brief, I have some business to get by." Regina said when she sat down at the couch next to him, but with further distance than usual.

"That's what I wanted to talk about. What are your intentions now that Emma's… gone?" Robin said after a short pause for finding the right word.

"I'm going to find her."  
"How do you know she's not… gone forever?"

"I don't know that, but I have hope."  
"Hope? You have hope?" Robin asked disbelievingly. "You learned to have that again?"

"Henry has taught me great things about love and family." Regina said with voice that sounded tired and resigned. She did not want to be having this conversation. She just wanted to get to Rumplestiltskin and squeeze some information out of him.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Research information and fight to get Emma back."

"Why does it matter so much to you? I haven't seen you this devastated since… Since you erased Emma's and Henry's memories."

Regina sighed deeply and closed her eyes to think of the right answer. Then she decided to go with honesty.

"My life has been nightmare for great length of it. There were three people who made my life better. And all of them were at one point ripped from me. One permanently, one temporarily and I have to find out which category fits Emma. My life hasn't been a nightmare since we started getting along. Since we became friends. I have to find her." Regina whispered the last sentence with tight throat.

Robin was watching her and it seemed that he took only one thing from it all.  
"Am I not one of those people?"

Regina looked him in the eyes, which mirrored the sadness in hers. She put her hand over his tenderly, but stayed seated away.

"I had thought you were for a long time. But if you were, I should not suffer with insecurity over our relationship… Maybe I only need the time to sort things out. Or maybe pixie dust isn't everything."

Robin broke the eye contact and pulled his hand away.

"I left my wife for you, Regina." Robin sighed, which made his accusation sound weaker.

"Maybe you shouldn't have. I have told you that everyone I love only gets hurt. It's a curse."

"But you're still fighting for Emma."  
"She's different. She's resilient."


	3. Chapter 3

Regina's mood shifted into angry determination as her heels announced her arrival to Gold's pawnshop.

"Oh, Madam Mayor. How can I help you?" Rumple said in his typical mocking voice.

"What happened to her?" Regina stopped only when a counter came into her way and she leaned over it, forming a threatening posture.

"I am afraid I don't know what you are talking about."  
"The curse which came for me. What was it? What did it do?!" Regina demanded, wanting information and being determined to walk out only when she has some.

"You mean the one that swallowed our dear Saviour who sacrificed for you? That's going to be one lovely plot twist for the story book."  
"Did you cast it?!" Regina pressed, leaning even closer towards him.

"As much as I wish I could say so, it wasn't me." Rumple scrunched his nose as he dropped his tone lower.

"Who was it then?" Regina's nails dug into the wood of the counter.

"I am afraid I don't know that. Somebody who wanted you. Difficult to say, you've known to have made lots of enemies."

"Was that a killing curse?" Regina's voice lost the anger for the first time since arriving there. It was voice of the scared little girl still living deep inside her.

"Worry not, this curse was of a different kind." Rumplestiltskin said, obviously revelling in Regina's anguish.

"So Emma's alive! But where is she?!" Regina hid the briefly escaping relief behind a mask.

"Prying information from me just like that? I don't think that will work, dearie."

"What do you want?"

"I want to make a deal."

"What a shocker. " Regina mumbled sarcastically. "What does the deal require?"

She asked, but it didn't matter. As long as it wasn't hurting Henry, she would do anything to get Emma back. No matter the price.

"I tell you the information, but you must bring me something. The curse trapped our Saviour into another land."  
"Another land? Neverland? Wonderland? The Enchanted Forest?" Regina spat the questions in a rush, desperate to know the answer.

"A kingdom of a dark sorceress. Living at the west shore of the arctic sea in the Enchanted Forest."

Regina thought furiously. She needed to create a portal then. She thought about the options she had until Rumplestiltskin reminded her she was still in his shop. What was worse, now she owed him something.

"The price is simple. I need you to bring me the necklace the sorceress is wearing."  
"Okay." Regina nodded, the centre of her worry was at different place than that. She turned on her heel and walked out of the shop.

"Enjoy the trip, your Majesty." Rumplestiltskin snickered behind her.

Regina's mind was already whirling with a To-Do list. But she needed information first.

She aimed to the town's library. She was nervous to walk in, so she stopped in front of the door and took a few calming breaths before knocking.

"Come in?" Belle's voice called from the inside, and confusion could be heard in her voice since nobody ever knocked on library doors.

Regina hesitantly opened and poked he head in before insecurely stepping inside.

"Good evening, Madam Mayor," Belle greeted her and her eyes were glinting with compassion. She wasn't really a friend of either of the women, but everybody could see how far they had gotten and how much they'd grown to care about each other and Belle was sorry to see the bond being ripped in half.

"Good evening." Regina said back, playing with her fingers while gaining courage to ask. "Belle, I know I've done horrible things to you-"  
"All forgiven, you've redeemed yourself," Belle interrupted her softly and smiled reassuringly when Regina looked at her.

"Would I be overstepping if I asked for your help?"

"I will do what's in my powers to help you find Emma. What can I do?"  
Regina was amazed of how this girl could just see the best in everybody.

"I need some information, but I don't really know where to look, and I've heard that you have extraordinary knowledge about the books in here."

Belle smiled and nodded. "What is it that we're looking for?"

"There's a kingdom of an evil sorceress in the Enchanted Forest. She lives on the west shore of the arctic sea."

"I think I know what you mean, but there isn't much about her in here, just the name and her family tree, I think. Just a moment," Belle said, but motioned for Regina to follow her. She took an old leather bound book from the shelf and started leafing through.

Regina was watching the pages of the book and peeked at Belle from time to time to see any change in her expression, signalizing success or failure.

"Here it is!" Belle pointed approximately in the second third of the book and turned it in her arms towards Regina. "This," she pointed to a name in a family tree, "is Morgana. Her ancestors always lived in that sea, so I think it's safe to assume it was her, because her clan has been known with having magic powers."

"Ursula? Is that The Ursula?" Regina pointed to the name on the right from Morgana. "Is it her sister?"  
Belle took a look at the page again and nodded in confirmation. "That's her."

"You've helped a great deal Belle. I don't know how to make it up for you in return." Regina said gratefully, sliding her fingers across the yellowed book page.

"That's what I am here for." Belle shrugged and put the book back in the shelf. "If there's anything else-?"

"No, that's all, thank you."  
"You're welcome." Belle smiled at her and hesitated before continuing. "Good luck in finding her."

Regina's throat tightened, so she only nodded in return before striding out again.

Regina checked the time and decided it was already too late for another visit. She would have to continue in the morning. She mentally planned everything she had to do the next day, but opted for organizing one thing just that evening.

She took out her phone and dialed Mary Margaret's number. The beeping sounds echoed for long time until the call ended itself. Regina tried it again, but when the situation repeated, she couldn't help it but go check on the Uncharmings. It took her a few minutes in rushed pace until she found herself urgently knocking on the door of their apartment.

After a few moments, the door finally opened and tired looking David gave Regina questioning look.

"Good evening Regina, what's wrong?"

"I've been trying to reach you on the phone…" Regina said, her voice only mildly colored with accusation.

"Oh, sorry, I probably overheard it… Neal's been crying for hours…" David sighed and shrugged, his posture giving out exhaustion.

"I thought Mary Margaret had a trick on that?" Regina asked him. One day ago, she would be certain to never admit she noticed that, but the sight in front of her shifted something in her.

"She does, yeah." David said, and looked to his right, somewhere in the apartment, where Regina couldn't see. "But she's not exactly in a state when she would apply that trick."  
"What does that mean?"

David opened the door a bit more, to offer Regina a better sight. There was Mary Margaret, sitting on the bed in slouched position, unmoving.

"It's like after Cora… She hasn't talked or moved since we got home."  
Regina's gaze flew between Mary Margaret and David, weighing her options and staying silent.

"Why did you come here?" David ripped her from her thought process.

"I was going to ask you if you could take care of Henry tomorrow. I have to run some errands concerning my plan for finding Emma." Regina explained in low voice – somehow the sight of depressed person made her talk quieter, like people do in hospitals or at funerals.

David looked at his wife.  
"Actually I think we could. Henry is quite good with Neal too, maybe he could help me do something…" he mused and looked at Regina again. "What time will you drop him off?"

"Would 9am be acceptable? He will probably want to go to the library after lunch, so you won't have to look after him the whole day…"

"Okay, no problem. We'll expect him tomorrow morning." David gave her a smile, but it disappeared when the sound of Neal's crying pierced the air.

"I can try to soothe him, I've experienced a fair share of sleepless nights when Henry wouldn't stop crying…?" Regina offered after peeking inside at Mary Margaret and seeing no reaction.

"I would appreciate that greatly," David said and opened the door wide for her to come in. "He's in the crib."

Regina nodded and slightly rolled her eyes – it was enough to follow the noise. She leaned over the edge of the crib and took Neal to her arms, softly rocking him in her embrace. She walked through the apartment, whispering a lullaby to the baby and softly patting him over the diaper. David sat down in the armchair, rubbed his eyes with heels of his palms and then his gaze followed Regina around the room. It took a few minutes, but Neal eventually fell asleep and Regina tucked him back in the bed.

"Thank you so much," David whispered when he walked her towards the door. "You didn't use magic though, did you?"  
"On a baby? Are you serious?" Regina looked at him with hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean that-"  
"It's okay…" Regina sighed and looked to the floor.

"It's just that Snow's always worried and doesn't want him to be around any magic…" David explained and that made Regina look up. "When she's that anxious, she forgets what good magic brought us and remembers only the bad, so she wants to protect him…"  
Regina nodded in understanding, not needing or wanting him to continue.

"I have to get home to Henry, it's late," she whispered instead.

"You're right. Thank you again. Goodnight Regina.."  
"Goodnight," she said, turned around on her heels and rushed back home.

She turned the key in the lock and walked inside.

"Mom?" Henry called and ran out of the kitchen.

"Hello Henry-"  
"I was worried where you are! Are you hungry? I'm making pizza." He said proudly and only then Regina noticed the smell filling the air.

"Isn't it late for dinner?" Regina asked and her lips curled when her son showed perfect Emma-eye roll.

"I'm all ready, showered, homework done, I was only waiting for you to come home and have a dinner with me, you know we always eat together. So where have you been?" Henry asked and led Regina to the kitchen with him.

"I was at your grandparents, asking them to look after you tomorrow from 9am, but you can go to library in the afternoon," Regina explained as they both leaned against the kitchen counter.

"What are you going to do?"  
"I have to find out information about what happened to Emma and make a plan for saving her."

"You believe she's okay?" Henry asked, his voice reflecting all the hope he had.

"Gold told me she is-"  
"REALLY?" Henry jumped up.  
"I went to talk to him and he said the curse brought her to another land, but she's alive."  
"That's great! What land?"  
"The Enchanted Forest, the west shore of arctic sea."  
"And who casted it?"

"A sorceress named Morgana."

Henry nodded, his face scrunched as he thought furiously. "I don't know her… I'll look in the library tomorrow! So, what's your plan?"  
"Finding information is the first step. I need to know what are her powers and her weaknesses before I dive in unthinkingly."  
"So you're going to the Enchanted Forest? May I come with you?" Henry pressed and used his best puppy eyes look, which he had probably learned from his other mother.

"I'm sorry Henry, it's too dangerous…"  
Henry sighed deeply. "You never let me do anything adventurous."  
"Confronting dark sorceress isn't an adventure, it's very dangerous and I couldn't bear if I lost you there. I doubt she will give Emma up without a fight, and she will aim for my weakness, which is you." Regina explained in tender, yet worried voice.

"So I'll help with the information." Henry said and crossed the kitchen to hug her.  
"Thank you," Regina whispered and wrapped her arms around him.

That was the time when over gave a little ping – dinner was ready.


	4. Chapter 4

Her own ragged breath woke Regina up. She shot into sitting position, gasping for air, desperately needing her lungs to expand and cooperate. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, practising the calming technique she had learned in her teenage years.

Her eyes open roamed around the dark bedroom. Regina didn't dare to close them and see the pictures again, she wasn't ready to face it just yet. She felt her silk pyjamas sticking with sweat to her midsection and back. She shifted in the bed and her feet touched the ground. She rose up and walked to her closet for new pyjamas. She changed and opened a window, standing by and letting the cold night breeze soothe her.

"I'm sorry Emma," she whispered and wished she could be heard by somebody else than the sky full of stars. She wished Emma could see them too. To be safe here at home.

With a sigh, she turned around to her bed, seeing it was only 4am. Deciding that she couldn't do anything helpful by staying awake and being cranky a few hours later, she climbed back into the bed, but this time she pushed the sheets away. Maybe those sheets were the arms that restrained her from being able to help Emma in her nightmare.

Like Robin's in her real-life daytime nightmare.

She woke up in the morning after a few hours of what nobody could call a peaceful sleep. She got dressed and walked into Henry's room, tiptoeing to his bed. She leant over him, pushed a stray of hair from his forehead and placed a soft kiss there.

"Mom?" Henry said sleepily and half-opened his eyes.

"Good morning," Regina whispered with a smile. "Henry, I'm going to visit Ariel and Eric now, I'll be back soon. Can I leave you here alone?"  
"Sure Mom, don't worry."

"I will lock the door, and you have breakfast when you get up," Regina said and Henry calmed her by squeezing her hand.

"I will be fine, Mom, go."  
Regina nodded and straightened up. "Bye."

"Bye," Henry mumbled and buried his head into the pillow again.

After a ride in her car with nervous tapping on the steering wheel, she ended up in front of Ariel's and Eric's house. She took a deep breath and knocked. It took a few seconds until the door opened and behind them stood the redhead in green leggings and oversized violet T-shirt, very likely her pyjamas.

"Oh. Good morning Madam Mayor, is anything wrong?" Ariel asked and instinctively tightened her grip on the edge of the door.

"I apologize for intrusion this early… Nothing is wrong, I just have a couple of questions. I know it's a lot to ask after having done you so much injustice in the past, but I am sorry Arielle, I really am." Regina said to Ariel without breaking eye contact.

The redhead was left speechless, again in her life, but stepped aside and motioned for Regina to come in.

"Thank you," Regina nodded and walked in.

Once Ariel found her voice again, she led her to the living room.

"May I offer you a tea or coffee?" Ariel asked, nervously fiddling with her fingers.

"No, thank you, I don't want to be a burden."

"Okay," Ariel nodded again and sat down next to Regina, but with a safe distance between them. "Well, you said you wanted to ask something? Should I call Eric?"

"I don't think it would be necessary… It's about Ursula." Regina started and could see that Ariel twitched lightly. Still she continued.

"She has a sister, Morgana, do you know about her?"

"Not much in particular. My daddy told me about Ursula, because she wanted to get the throne. He said that Morgana went after the same target, but in all of their lives, Ursula was… liked more, was more competent and skilled, with magic, you know. So the trident meant not only power for her, but also revenge to Ursula and their mother… But my daddy always won over her."  
"Always?" Regina asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Well, she tried many times as she got stronger, but she was never strong enough to defeat my daddy." Ariel explained and waited for Regina to ask more questions.

Regina nodded and with eyes casted down, she was sorting her thoughts.

"How did you defeat her?"

"Magic." Ariel shrugged.

"Is there anything in particular that would be considered as her and possibly her sister's weakness?" Regina asked slowly as she was organizing the questions in her whirling mind.

Ariel hesitated for a while and then shook her head. "I don't really know."

Regina's eyebrows briefly shot up and then her features sagged with sadness.

"Is this because of Emma?" Ariel reached out with her hand towards Regina's knee but jerked away before she touched her. "Was it Morgana who took Emma away?"  
"How do you know about it?"  
"Rumours spread quickly in this town… And Emma is an important person to us all."

Regina sighed, "She really is."  
"So was it her? Was it Morgana?"  
"We have serious reasons to believe so. Gold told me the location Emma disappeared to, and Belle helped me find out who placed the curse." Regina explained and she suddenly felt like she was wasting so much time because talking to the couple seemed like long ago.

"I appreciate your help, thank you." Regina said and rose up to her feet. "I will have to go…"  
"Wait a second please." Ariel shot up as well. "Emma is in another land, right?"

"Yes, she is in the Enchanted Forest." Regina agreed and waited for Ariel to continue her train of thoughts.

"Do you have a way to get there?"

"Not yet," Regina admitted a hole in her plan.

"I see," Ariel nodded and her eyes darted to a side and she suppressed a tiny smile. "Well, I hope you do well."

"Thank you Ariel. Goodbye." Regina said and Ariel closed the door behind her.

Regina pushed her hands deep inside the pockets of her coat and with clicking of her heels she made her way to her car. Her phone buzzed with a new text message.

_"__Hey Mom, how about we meet at Granny's for lunch? It's nearly lunchtime and you have enough things to worry about than last-minute cooking." _

Regina's lips curled into a touched smile. He was so kind and caring, just like his birth mother. That was one of the inherited traits that Regina found lovable, but wouldn't easily admit it.

"I can pick you up and drive us there, I'm at home in five minutes."

Regina sent the message and sat into her car, waiting for Henry's answer to know which direction she should head to.

"No need, I'm on my way already. Be there in 10."

So Regina started the engine and drove to Granny's diner, sitting in their usual booth.

In a few moments, Ruby was at her table.

"Madam Mayor, what would it be today?"

"I will order when Henry arrives," Regina dismissed her politely and Ruby left her with a nod and smile.

Regina heard the door opening, so she turned around to see if it was Henry. It wasn't. But still the person walked towards the place she was sitting and slid opposite her.

"Tinker Bell?" Regina's brow shot up in question of what the blonde was doing there.

"Hi Regina." Tinker Bell smiled at her

"Is there a particular reason you are sitting here right now?"

"There is actually. I have something for you." The blonde smiled secretively and outstretched her arm, grasping something hidden in her palm. Regina hesitantly reached out and held her palm open under Tinker Bell's fist. The girl let go of what she was hiding and closed Regina's fingers around it with her own hands.

"I know you will use it well." She whispered and smiled encouragingly.

Regina's confused eyes darted from Tinker Bell's to her hand. She eased the grasp with her fingers and saw two brightly glowing silver beans.

"Magic beans?" Regina's surprise was obvious as she met Tinker Bell's gaze.

"I'm giving you a second chance."

"You already gave me a second chance," Regina reminded her of Robin, as if she needed a reminder.

Tinker Bell sighed and thought for a moment if she should tell Regina everything or just a part of it.

"I was wrong. I knew the place to find your true love, but I was there at the wrong time. I'm sorry that I put you through the pain… That we both went through so much pain. Let me redeem myself by giving you the right second chance."

"Who is it then?" Regina subconsciously leaned in, feeling drawn by the possibility of knowing.

"I can't tell you that just yet, I'm sorry." Tinker Bell apologized and lifted herself, sliding out of the booth.

Regina looked into her palm again and then turned to leaving fairy.  
"Thank you."

"You're welcome Regina," Tinker Bell smiled and walked out of the diner, meeting Henry in the doorway.

"Hi Mom," Henry said cheerfully and sat opposite Regina. "What's going on?" He asked when he saw her bewildered expression.

"Tinker Bell gave me magic beans." Regina said in quiet voice and showed him.

"Great! You can find Emma now!" Henry's excitement was evident.

"I know." Regina's lips spread into a wide smile. "But let's have lunch first."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I apologize to everyone reading this that I take so much time, I am not giving up on this story, I will finish it if it is the last thing I do, but please be patient with my slow writing 3

Regina was standing in front of her closet, thinking. Not even an hour ago she got magic beans from Tinker Bell and found out that the man she tried to pursue and to make future with, wasn't actually her true love, her soulmate. She wasted so much time by trying to make it work even when it felt so wrong.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the exhaustion in her own eyes. She didn't know who her soulmate was, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Maybe this time she should just wait. She would know, just like she knew with Daniel. Or maybe this time it will be a person she actually chooses. She shook her head to clear her mind. She had to save Emma now.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she thought about it. Emma. The one who unexpectedly became her friend even after their rough start. The one who always saved her. The one whom she owed so much. Now it was time to save the Saviour.

She reached into the furthest end of her closet, where she kept the clothes she thought she would never wear again. She kept those as a remainder of her past, the good and the bad memories. She used to fear that putting some of the outfits would turn her evil, that it would help her slip into the old ways. But after all this time, after all the redeeming process and after even being called a hero several times, she stopped being afraid of that.

So she pulled out black leather pants, one of the more comfortable black corsets and burgundy jacket. She wanted it to be practical and wanted to look intimidating to Morgana, which would unlikely happen in pencil skirt and petroleum shirt she shared with Emma since the day Emma "borrowed" it the first time.

She got dressed and took the beans into a leather pouch, which she hid in a pocket of her jacket. With one flick of her hand, she styled her hair into a bun. Then she slipped into high boots and broke into satisfied smile. She took a deep steadying breath and tried her magic, summoning random things around the room. After succeeding every time, she concluded she was ready.

She opened the door of her bedroom and walked down the stairs, where Henry was standing.

When he saw her, he gaped. "Wow, Mom you look…"

"Evil?" Regina tensed in fear when Henry couldn't finish his sentence.

"No, cool!" he exclaimed with a wide smile.

Two pairs of footsteps were heard before Mary Margaret and David walked out of the living room, spotting Regina and staring, reflexively cringing a bit at the memories of what woman dressed like that had done to them in the past.

"What are you doing here? I thought I would drive Henry to you." Regina stated, unpleased at the fact that they were in her house without her knowing.

"Henry called us, he thought it would spare some time and you could rescue Emma sooner." David explained and Henry gave Regina an apologetic smile.

"And we wished to say goodbye and wish you good luck." Mary Margaret offered with a light smile.

"No hope speech, please." Regina stopped her with a delicate raise of her hand. Composure of a queen indeed.

Henry ran to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Good luck Mom." He mumbled into Regina's shoulder. This was all hope speech she needed. Her lips curled into touched smile and she pulled Henry closer in their hug.

"Thank you for doing that Regina."

Regina sighed as Henry pulled away, but kept his hand around Regina's waist.  
"Don't thank me too soon. You don't know if I win."

"You're a Hero, Mom, heroes always win."

"He's right," Mary Margaret said and David nodded.

"When are you going to be back?" Henry asked and looked up to her.

"I don't know Henry, I have never met Morgana, I don't know how powerful she is and I don't know what she's done to Emma…"

"You're more powerful than her." Henry stated and Regina wished he was right.

"I should get going then." She decided and Charmings nodded with a supportive smile. Regina placed a kiss on top of Henry's head and then let go of him.

"Goodbye." She said as she walked out of her house.

"See you soon!" the three people, her family, shouted behind her and walked out on the porch, watching as Regina took one bean out of her pocket and threw it on the ground in front of her.

The land swirled with magic and purple smoke as the portal opened.

Regina focused on imagination of Morgana and her castle and the location in the Enchanted Forest. With a deep breath she jumped in and let the portal swallow her whole.

She fell hard on her knees and huffed. What she noticed first was the immediate overwhelming scent of the Forest. She smiled sentimentally and pulled herself up, checking her clothes and seeing no damage. She looked around and found herself in the middle of forest, no castle to be seen. She sighed and decided to find someone to ask.

The branches crunched under her feet, birds sang, but that was all to be heard in the silence of woods. After a few minutes of walking, she came across a path and looked to both sides, having a slight Deja-vu feeling that she was riding there in her carriage once or twice. She turned right and continued walking in silence. Her mind was swirling with thoughts and plans what to do when she finds the castle of Morgana and how she would find Emma.

Her pondering was interrupted by sound of crackling branches, that wasn't her own. She turned sharply to the source of the noise and raised her hand, ready to defend herself.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes searching for any sign of movement. "I mean no harm as long as you have the same intentions."

At that, a person stood up from the tall grass and faced her with curious expression. A young maiden, long ginger hair in a braid, her clothes typical for peasants, with a little bit of dirt.

"Who are you?" the maiden asked and eyed Regina suspiciously. She thought the woman in front of her looked like the Evil Queen, but softer. And with less eyeliner she guessed.

"I'm-uhm… Do you know where Morgana's palace is?" Regina decided not to tell her name, afraid it would wreck her chances to get helped.

"What? You want to go there?" The maiden asked with terrified expression on her face.

"I have to. Would you please tell me the way?"

"You're on the right path, just continue for another ten minutes or so… But why are you going there, haven't you heard what she's done?"

"Actually I haven't." Regina answered and lingered in the place instead of running off as she planned to.

"She wants to take over all the seas, she wants to defeat Triton and god knows what else, because since the Evil Queen placed the curse, there's maybe half the population that used to be here."

Regina flinched at hearing her old name. The girl didn't notice.

"So what has she done?" Regina pressed, wanting to know some information since she was wasting time there.

"She's been trying to get some villains to her side, good way or bad way. She's capturing our boys to build an army. She burned two villages down because they refused to give their sons away. We're all afraid that this time, she will beat Triton and then it will be easy to take over the Enchanted Forest, with the trident combined with her magic…" The girl ranted on and at one point, tears welled to her eyes.

"Why has nobody tried to stop her?" Regina didn't understand that.

"Triton has, but as long as she has the necklace, she can't be killed. Not that he would do it." She shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Has nobody else tried?"

"Are you new in the whole Enchanted Forest? The two most powerful people were taken away with the curse." The girl said impatiently. They were advised not to stay alone and she didn't believe this stranger could help her in need.

Regina nodded in understanding. She turned to look at the path she had to take and took a deep breath.

The maiden quickly said "Good luck in surviving." and ran off as fast as she appeared.

So Regina walked out towards the palace.

It really took her about ten minutes. Ten minutes of planning what to do. Where she should go first? Face Morgana directly or attack from behind? Or should she first try to find Emma to beat Morgana together? They have always been stronger together.

The forest grew thinner and opened a view of a magnificent palace. Regina stopped for a minute, scanning the building for most convenient entrances, and appreciating the architecture even though her castle looked better.

She walked closer, but carefully, not on the main path, not wanting to be noticed. She was creeping around to the high ornamental wrought iron fence, when she hitched in shock.

The very well-known blonde was in the garden, pulling a pail with water from a stone well.

"Emma?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Emma?" Regina whisper-shouted, trying to get the blonde's attention. "Ssst! Emma! Emma!"

The blonde turned around quickly with bewildered look in her eyes. Regina met her gaze and everything inside her crumbled. It was the look Henry gave her after he came back from New York. Blank.

"Emma?" Regina tried for the last time, her insides writhing in pain of going through it again.

"Are you talking to me?" Emma asked suspiciously, frozen in the place.

"Yes."

"My name's not Emma, my name's Raca." The blonde opposed with a frown.

"I know you and your parents. And they love you so much, they would never name you "worthless"."

"What?" Emma asked, showing all the confusion she felt.

"That's what Raca means. Worthless, good-for-nothing."

"How do you even know such stuff?" Emma asked suspicion and anger creeping into her voice.

"It's a long and difficult story," Regina said to avoid answering that question. It was something she hadn't told anyone before.

"You better start talking, if you want me trust you." Emma said curtly, eyeing Regina who was standing afar behind the fence.

Regina casted her eyes down, thinking about it. "Okay," she whispered and walked closer to the fence, sitting down on stump.

Emma left the well behind her and took a few cautious steps towards Regina. She maintained a distance even though there was a fence between them.

"There was a time when I was… a prisoner in my own home. My mother arranged marriage of convenience behind my back and wanted me to have children with my husband." She cringed at calling him that. "This was one of the hints she dropped."

"But you didn't like him?" Emma asked when Regina fell silent.

"There was not much to love. He adored his daughter and treated his kingdom nice, but I was a trophy, alone and…" Regina sighed.

"And? Did you have a child with him?"

"No." Regina breathed, considering telling Emma about the infertility potion, but she decided against it.

"You said you were a trophy… that's usually said about younger wives, right?" Emma asked and Regina nodded. "How big was the age difference between you two?"

"I was barely of age and he was already an old man."

"What? That's disgusting!" Emma exclaimed, horrified. "Why did your mother do it?"

"She had no heart." Regina paused. "Literally."

Emma raised her eyebrow in question.

"She ripped her heart out and buried it. She was not able to love, she only wanted power."

"So she didn't love you?" Emma asked and walked closer to the fence, sitting on the ground.

"She wasn't able to, no."

"I'm sorry." Emma said and casted her eyes down for a moment, studying Regina secretly. She saw the woman was telling the truth, while talking about painful memories. She wanted to trust her.

"So my parents are somewhere out there?" Emma started shyly.

"Where do you think you come from?" Regina asked with mix of emotions in her voice. But no biting or sarcasm. "Who were you born to? Do you remember?"

Emma tried to remember something. Anything really.

"I don't remember anything. I remember just like two days and the rest is hazy, it's like I've always been here." Emma tried to explain and looked at Regina for help.

"See?" Regina pointed out.

"Where are they? And why I am held captive here? Did they sell me?"

"No, calm down, they did not sell you. A curse came between you. Again." She whispered the last word. "Morgana placed it. Have you met her?"

"Is it the witch who owns this palace?"  
"That's her."

"Then I have. I remember waking up and she was very angry and asked me if I could do magic, she even forced me to try something, but I can't do magic, so she threw me out of there, telling me I will be her servant." Emma said, for unknown reason feeling like she could be open to the woman sitting in front of her.

"Oh." Regina said and started sorting her thoughts. Should she tell Emma she does have magic or-

"So I am not Raca." Emma stated.

"No. Emma." Regina said and felt warmth spreading through her chest at the sound of the name drawing across her lips.  
"And you are?"  
"Regina."

"I would say nice to meet you, but since you apparently know me… Why are you talking to me anyway?" Emma pulled away a bit, suddenly struck with a question that hadn't come to her mind before because she was overflowing with thoughts and emotions.

"I came to save you and take you back home." Regina smiled encouragingly, but Emma didn't take that.

"Take me home? How can I know you didn't just make everything up? I was kidnapped just yesterday and had my memory erased, this world is full of cunning witches, how do I know you're just not one of them?"  
"Emma, wait-"  
"No, you wait. If all you're saying is true, I will go with you. But I have to remember first."

"But how do I-" Regina desperately asked, but Emma didn't let her finish.  
"I don't know. See you tomorrow, same place, same time. Figure something out." Emma said quickly and got up, turning away from Regina, aiming back to the palace, taking the pail out of the well with her.

"Goodnight Emma." Regina called behind her.

One corner of blonde's lips curled up. "Goodnight."

Regina stood there for a while, watching Emma's back retreating in the dimness. Then she turned around and walked into the woods. It was not too late, but the sun wasn't shining much and she had to be quick to make herself a shelter.

She ran for a while, until she was hidden enough in the forest, but she still could see the castle in between the trees. She started collecting branches, leaves and moss, putting it all together the way she saw and helped Snow White do once back in the times when she was under disguise as a peasant with Rumplestiltskin's help.

Soon enough she had a sufficient shelter without even using magic, which she spared for the fight with Morgana.

She lay down under the roof of branches and pulled the jacket closer around herself. Now she had enough time for proper thinking and she started worrying about Morgana. She couldn't be killed as long as she was wearing the necklace. That's why Rumplestiltskin wanted it, that did sound like his kind of merchandise.

She decided to get Emma to remember first and then use her help to defeat Morgana. Because as the blonde said, she wasn't going anywhere with Regina until she remembered anyway.

_I will have to tell her everything._

_I will do anything to get her back._


	7. Chapter 7

Regina opened her eyes and squinted into the light. She sat up and stretched, letting a breathy moan escape her lips. She felt cranky, but what she could expect after sleeping in worse conditions than any peasant. She lifted her eyes to the sun and tried to guess the time. She didn't know approximately, but it was late morning. She was surprised how she could stay asleep for so long, she never did. Maybe crying herself to sleep last night was at least partly the reason.

She had known she cared for Emma. She thought about how it hurt to see her disappear and how empty it felt. She had expected this journey not to be easy, but this was hard. Emma not remembering her and looking at her with that ordinary look, which showed no special emotion, that was crushing.

Regina got up and cleared herself from the dust and dirt. Then she covered her shelter and ashes after fire with leaves.

She left her sleeping place and aimed to the forest path, walking in the opposite direction than the day before. She assumed there must have been a village, because the maiden must have run from somewhere. She buried her hand in her pocket, searching for money so she could buy something to eat. She found a couple of coins of a high value, possibly remaining there since her last time in the Enchanted Forest. She was walking swiftly through the quiet woods and it took her only around what she guessed could be twenty minutes, until she came across a village.

They all looked nearly the same. Couple of smaller brown huts with thatched roofs, a path between them widening into something that could be called village green. There were little gardens with fruit and vegetable and clothes hanging on washing lines tied between the trees.

Regina continued walking through the village, seeing only a few people and bunch of playing kids, the rest was probably working on the field, she assumed.

She found a pub, so she walked in. It was a bit dim, even though it could be close to noon. The walls of stone kept it cold, but the burning torches made up for it. Regina looked around the room and headed to the bar.

"Hello Miss, what will it be?" a grey haired woman with burlap apron asked her over the counter.

"Hello. A tea and lunch, please." Regina answered politely and put the change on the counter. The lady nodded and took the money.

"But what do you want?"

"It doesn't matter, I will take whatever the meal you're cooking is."

"Fine. Someone's going to bring it to you in a minute, you can find a seat."

"Thank you," Regina found a spot at one table. She took her gloves off and ran her fingers across the drawings carved into the wood. Then she lifted her gaze and looked around the room, carefully now. She noticed that there were mostly women, just two men and four teenage boys eating lunch.

She remembered what the maiden had told her. Morgana took the men and boys to make an army.

Regina turned back around to her table when she heard footsteps followed by a gasp.

"It's you!" The ginger maiden from the day before exclaimed and put down Regina's order. "How are you even alive?!"

"I haven't met Morgana yet-"  
"What do you mean 'yet'? You are still determined to go there?!" the girl said disbelievingly and took a seat opposite Regina.

"I really do have to," Regina said and took a sip of the tea, warm spreading through her body.

"Why? Did she capture your son?"

"No, my son is safe, far away from here." Regina smiled and her heart got into that steady rhythm as it always did when she thought of Henry, in those times while he wasn't endangered by whichever fairy tale sources.

"A husband then?"

"No, not a husband-"  
"A lover?" the ginger smiled playfully and watched Regina's cheek blush a light shade of red.

"No, not a lover either," Regina said and started eating her lunch, avoiding the maiden's studying gaze.

"I don't quite believe you. Who is it then?"

"A… friend. Mother of our child." Regina stated and forgot how unusual it was for people who didn't know their family.

"So a wife!" The girl smacked the table in winning gesture.

"No, we are not- we are just friends."

"You fell out?"  
"No, it's complicated, I raised the son and only after 10 years, I met her." Regina looked at the maiden and lifter her eyebrow.

"I see… And she's now captured by Morgana?"

"Yes," Regina nodded simply.

"I'm sorry to tell you but I don't have high hopes for her to be alive," the maiden whispered and reached out with her hand, placing it on Regina's forearm.

"I talked to her yesterday," she smirked and maiden's hand left hers.

"That's only half a triumph, since she's not sitting right here next to you."

Regina took a deep breath to defend herself, but in that moment, the door was opened loudly with a kick. Everyone's eyes shot to the people coming in, but they already knew who it was.

Morgana.

Regina quickly pulled the cape over her head and pushed it into her forehead, but not too much, so she still could see what was going on. She saw the group of teenage boys rising to run away, but being stopped by a green spell.

A tall witch walked in, long black dress tightly hugging her slim figure, hair all styled up, and an amused smirk on her lips. She obviously loved the attention and fear she awoke.

"Well well well, look who we nearly forgot to take into our little army…" she said as she walked to the now quiet pub, aiming towards the frozen boys. "Looks like sufficient addition to my collection."

Regina took time to examine her nemesis. From the tentacle-looking tips of her dress over her swaying hips, to the necklace sitting between her breasts. It was like crystal clear stone with black fog floating in it.

Behind Morgana walked a person with her arm raised and green magic flowing from her palm. So it wasn't Morgana who casted the spell. Regina moved her cape up a bit to have a better look on this servant. Green dress, slim figure, necklace in cleavage, a strand of ginger hair fallen from the bun-

Zelena?

Regina pulled the cape further in her face, afraid of Zelena recognizing her.

"You know what to do, tie them as usual," Morgana growled towards Zelena, but not letting her gaze leave the boys in front of her.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Zelena obeyed and with one flick of her wrist, the boys were tied together.

_'__Your Majesty'_? Regina doubted that Zelena would submit herself to another sorceress just to get to power. It didn't seem like her.

Zelena pushed the boys in front of her and out of the pub. Regina sensed the fear of everybody in the room and the confidence and pleasure Morgana felt.

The sorceress looked around with predatory look and smirk playing on her lips. Then she turned around and swayed out of the door without one word.  
And Regina couldn't help but think with a smirk, _'She's got a lot to learn.'_


	8. Chapter 8

Regina was early. She knew she would be, but she couldn't stop herself. She was pacing between the trees, stealing glances towards the castle, waiting for Emma to appear.

She lost track of time, so she had no idea how long she had been lost in her thoughts, when Emma walked out into the garden. Regina's eyes lit up immediately and she aimed to the fence.

"Emma," Regina breathed, overflown with relief that she had come.

"Hi," Emma smiled shyly as she walked to the spot they had occupied the day before. She sat down on the stump again and Regina found her spot on the ground in pine needles, not very refined of a queen, but it didn't matter.

"Thank you for coming," Regina said to break the ice and Emma shrugged.

"I want to get to know you. You look determined to convince me."

"I am." Regina gave her a half-smirk, which disappeared after she looked Emma over. "What's that?"

Emma looked what Regina was pointing at. Her forearm. She covered it with the fabric of her sleeve and put her hand over it.

"It's nothing."

"No, you're hiding something. What's the matter?" Regina pressed, leaning closer to the fence to have better view.

"Just Morgana… She wasn't pleased with me and this was my punishment," Emma explained, but still kept her forearm hidden.

"What happened?"

"She tried to force me to do magic – but I can't do magic, you know, so she went batshit crazy and angry and lashed out… and slapped me with her tentacle?" Emma said with small voice, afraid that she wouldn't be believed.

"Can I take a look, please?" Regina said and couldn't control the emotions flowing into her voice. All the concern and caring about Emma, it could be heard and felt.

"Okay," Emma said and carefully removed the sleeve, showing her forearm, all red and covered with ugly blisters.

"Ssss," Regina hissed compassionately at the sight. Then her voice got soft and she asked: "Could you bring the arm closer, please? I might help."

Emma didn't know why, but she believed the woman. It just came naturally, which was weird, considering everyone around her in the castle was untrustworthy, because they all were against her.

So she outstretched the arm as close to Regina behind the fence as possible. Regina stuck her fingers through the spaces in the fence, hovering above Emma's forearm. A cloud of purple smoke flowed from Regina's fingers and lightly dropped on the burns and blisters. At first, Emma flinched, afraid that it would hurt. When she felt nothing but tepid sensation dancing on her skin, she calmed down and watched the spell in bewilderment as her arm healed and all the red spots disappeared.

Emma was still staring at the mended wounds, wonder-struck. When she lifted her gaze and met Regina's, there was something else to be seen, maybe beginnings of affection and building trust.

"Thank you, that was phenomenal, it hurt like hell…"  
"Just a little spell," Regina waved it off humbly.

"So are you going to tell me more about myself and see if I can finally remember?" Emma smiled and nestled down comfortably in front of the stump, closer to Regina, but still separated by the gate.

"I don't know where to start…" Regina admitted and started thinking.

"Start with my parents. You said they loved me." Emma helped to nudge her in the right direction.

"Alright. Have you ever heard of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Of course I hav-NO KIDDING. They are my parents?" Emma gaped at Regina, subconsciously leaning forward in shock.

"Yes," Regina chuckled lightly at the reaction.

"So I am a princess?" Emma whispered and looked over her shoulder if Morgana wasn't in earshot.

"You indeed are, Your Majesty," Regina smirked, but then the smirk melted into a genuine smile and she couldn't even control it.

"When did they fail raising me to be all princess-y?" Emma asked and looked herself over. Not very noble or ladylike.

"They didn't raise you…" Regina said with her voice low. It had been hurting her for quite some time to know it was her fault that Emma was this miserable all her life.

"Why not?"

"There was an Evil Queen who placed a curse, sending all the people to another world. And you, you were destined to break the curse and save everybody."  
"Including the Queen?" Emma asked with furrowed brows, as she tried to connect the dots.

"I am not sure if that was part of the prophecy, but you have saved her too. You gave her another chance and she took it."  
"And she changed?"  
"Yes, she did." Regina nodded, but her eyes were glued to the ground. She didn't want to continue chronologically, she didn't want Emma to find out that she was the Evil Queen. She wanted just one reality where she wouldn't be responsible for so much of Emma's pain, where Emma didn't remember it and where Emma wouldn't even think about it, which was something that constantly scared Regina in their 'real world'.

"'Kay, so I was meant to be like a knight or something?" Emma asked and her expression mirrored her confusion.

"Saviour is the word." Regina helped.

"And what happened? The Evil Queen separated us?"

"Not exactly. Your parents wanted to give you your best chance and sent you to another world before the curse came, believing you would find them and save them."  
"Wow, kinda lots of pressure on a baby, don't you think?" Emma smirked and then joined Regina in a little laugh.

"One could say. But you found us, when you were 28."  
"Hang on, you just skipped 28 years of my life, you can't not tell me about those?" Emma interfered and subconsciously shifted even closer to the fence.

"I don't have the clearest idea about that time, frankly… Although I know it wasn't pleasant time, you went through couple of foster homes and in teenage years, you decided to run away on your own."  
"That does sound like me. I mean the running away." Emma nodded and waited for Regina to continue.

"You met Lily, who became your friend, there was work of fate included, but you… disagreed and you pushed her away."  
"Lily…" Emma repeated the name, trying to remember anything, trying to make some memories flow up to the surface. Nothing.

"Couple of years later, you stole a yellow bug-"

Emma gave her incredulous look. "Is that significant?"

"It is, it became one of your typical symbols." Regina smiled.

"One of? What are others?"  
"Red leather jacket, Sheriff badge and the flower tattoo on inside of your wrist." Regina counted and saw Emma turning her gaze in disbelief towards the tattoo hidden under a piece of fabric tied around her wrist.

"You met a man and fell in love. But the odds weren't in your favour and… he left you, you ended up in prison and pregnant."  
Emma gaped at her and gasped.

"You gave birth to a little boy and gave him up for adoption to give him his best chance-"  
"-like my parents did." Emma breathed and started blinking more quickly to chase away the tears dangerously forming in her eyes.

"Yes. And I adopted him."  
"You did?" Emma's face lit up again. "Thank you."

"No, thank_ you_. I raised him since he was a baby and when he was 10, he found you and brought you home to Storybrooke."  
"Brought me home?" Emma smiled and looked Regina in the eyes.

"You brought him back to _me_. I mean- he brought you to _his_ home." Regina quickly corrected herself as she felt her breath quickening with nervousness.

Emma nodded and remained silent, seemingly lost in her thoughts.  
Regina couldn't help but watch her. She let herself get lost in the feeling of seeing her again. Her eyes followed the divine features of Emma's face and her chest peacefully raising and falling with every breath. And that was enough.


	9. Chapter 9

Regina watched Emma for couple of minutes in peaceful silence.

"It's a lot to take in, I know." Regina whispered to smooth the frown line between Emma's eyebrows.

"What's his name?" Emma asked softly, so softly like she knew him.

"Henry. Henry Daniel Mills." Regina said warmly and corners of her lips curled into a little smile.

"Did _you_ name him?" Emma mirrored the little smile and looked Regina in the eyes.

"Yes."  
"I like it. Why did you choose those names?"

"Henry was after my father and Daniel… after my first- after my true love." Regina admitted and her gaze dropped.

"Oh. Is he a good father?" Emma asked almost cheerfully, not noticing the change in Regina's expression.

Regina tensed and shook her head a bit to have her hair fall into her face, to shield herself from Emma.

"He would be." She whispered tightly, fighting the tears.

"Oh I'm so sorry Regina, I didn't want to- sorry…" Emma scooted closer to the fence and wished she could fix the pain the other woman was clearly in.

"No, it's alright, you forgot everything. And everybody." Regina whispered with a broken voice and then rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Regina-" Emma pleaded with puppy eyed look, the one Regina knew so well.  
"It's not your fault, Emma." She sighed and wiped away a tear that managed to escape. "But you have enough to process for today anyway-"  
"Will you come here tomorrow?" Emma asked hopefully as she rose to her feet too.

"Of course," Regina smiled a bit, her heart feeling the familiar warmth Emma managed to wake up.

"Thank you for fixing my arm," Emma motioned to her forearm, which was looking like new, like nobody ever hurt it.

"You're welcome. Just… be more careful the next time." Regina locked her gaze with Emma's for the last time before turning around to leave.

"Goodnight Regina," Emma called behind her and Regina could feel that there was something more to her voice than there was the first day.

She looked over her shoulder to dedicate her one last smile: "Goodnight Emma."

The next day, when Regina got to the castle, Emma was already pacing there. It took her a few moments to notice Regina was coming, but when she did, her face lit up immediately.

"Hi," Emma smiled and tilted her head slightly, looking Regina up and down.

"Hello Emma," Regina returned the smile and sat down in the grass and pine needles, to her usual spot.

"You look tired," Emma stated, but it turned out to be more of a question.

"It's nothing," Regina waved it off, but Emma was persistent.

"How much did you sleep?"

Regina sighed and started thinking, her expression forming into a slight frown, which Emma found utterly adorable.

"Maybe three hours," Regina whispered and moved her hands into her lap, rubbing them against each other.

"Why only three hours?" Emma was surprised and Regina could see the shift in her expression – she got worried.

Regina remained silent, considering what she should say.

"Hey, I know you maybe don't wanna talk about it, but you can trust me?" Emma offered almost shyly.

Regina looked into those honest green eyes and thought about what Emma must have been going through. That she must have been lonely and Regina was the only person talking to her in decent way – judging from what she heard about Morgana and she knew Zelena in her 'sane' state of mind, which wasn't any better. She could just tell her.

"I had nightmares," Regina confessed and Emma nodded, waiting for further explanation. When there came none, she asked.  
"What about?"  
"Daniel," Regina said and she saw Emma flinch. "No, it's not your fault. It happens from time to time…"

"What happened to him?" Emma asked with compassion and Regina thought if Emma would dare to ask that in Storybrooke, if they already got that far together.

"My mother killed him." Regina said bitterly, still not meeting Emma's eyes.

"Was that because she wanted you to marry the old king?" Emma asked, putting the puzzle pieces of information together.

"Exactly. A stable boy wasn't enough for me, in her opinion… But enough of that, we have to make you remember."

"You stopped at you adopting Henry – then you jumped to ten years later to him taking me home to you, but you skipped ten years which I would love to hear about."

Emma reminded Regina of little Henry, when she used to read him stories and he reminded her about what happened in the last chapter and sometimes pleading her to read the favourite parts again until they could play them out together. That memory made her smile sentimentally as she got lost in her thoughts.

Emma watched her tight shoulders and a light shiver Regina tried to supress. The lack of sleep had obviously a heavy effect on her.

"You're cold." Emma stated.  
"Hm?" Regina looked up, tore out of her pondering.

"I said you're cold." Emma repeated and took off her jacket.

"What are you doing?"  
"I'm going to throw it over the fence, catch it." Emma said, stood up and curled the jacket in to a ball and threw it over the fence. Regina took it and slipped into it, secretly inhaling the smell of it. The smell of Emma. The smell of home.

"Thank you," she smiled and tightened the fabric around herself.

"You're welcome. So?" Emma pressed with raised eyebrows.

"So?"  
"What happened in the 10 years?" Emma reminded her with a chuckle.

"I honestly don't know much about the time in between… I know you worked as a bail bonds person, but that's about it." Regina shrugged and felt sorry for not being much useful in remembering this part of Emma's life.

"It must be insignificant. Tell me about the time when I got to Storybrooke."

"Well, you and I didn't get along well in the beginning… We fought and we could get along only in Henry's sake. It got that far that I baked an apple turnover laced with sleeping curse for you. But Henry ate it to make you believe in magic and fairy tales. You didn't believe, but after that you did." Regina said sadly, still feeling the heaviness of guilt she carried about that. She stole a glance at Emma to see her reaction, only to find out she was obviously terrified.

"What happened to him?"

"You woke him up with True Love's kiss, which broke both curses – the sleeping curse and the one Evil Queen placed before on the citizens, so everyone remembered who they were."

Emma studied her for a long time, trying to imagine – or better remember – those events. "Weren't they furious at the Evil Queen?"

"They were." Regina nodded curtly.

"Why did she do it?" Emma pondered, and she herself didn't know if that was a rhetorical question or not.

"She had what one would call a troubled past. And wanted a happy ending – which the last 10 years with Henry were." Regina said and only after those words brushed past her lips, she realized what she just said. And she was afraid. She looked at Emma, fear and plea in her eyes. Plea not to give up on her.

"You were the Evil Queen?" Emma asked and Regina nodded anxiously. "What happened then?"  
"That's it?" Regina asked in surprise. "You're just going to let it go?"  
"Yeah? You said the Saviour gave you another chance and you changed. I believe in my own judgement. And judging by the last three days, you're not evil at all."

Regina didn't have words. She just stared at her lovingly, like she knew she might have done a few times in the past. Because sometimes you just didn't have words for Emma Swan.

Regina was smiling, but she was exhausted, that Emma could see even in the dark.

"Hey. You're tired and you obviously need some sleep now." Emma said and Regina nodded. She rose up to her feet and brushed off the dirt.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked. "I thought you could… sleep here, so I could wake you up if you had a nightmare. Maybe it could help?" Emma pleaded and Regina could see there was a bit of selfishness in that as well. Maybe she didn't want to sleep alone anymore either.

"Okay." She lay down, face to the fence and to Emma, who mirrored her.

"Goodnight Emma."  
"Goodnight Regina. And sweet dreams."


	10. Chapter 10

The nightmare came only once.

Regina started shaking and quietly weeping, muttering incoherent words.

That woke Emma up nearly immediately and her gaze fell on Regina, who was a mess with beads of sweat on her forehead and pained expression on her face.

"Regina," she whispered tenderly. "Regina, wake up, it's just a nightmare. You're alright. You're not hurting. Regina, please."

She kept whispering Regina's name and she tried to sneak her hand through the fence to gently touch Regina, but she couldn't reach that far.

"Regina please, wake up. It's me, Emma. You're with me."

Regina stilled. Emma watched her worriedly, traced every feature with her gaze, followed the drops of sweat running from Regina's forehead, and ended up looking at her eyes, praying for her to wake up.

"Regina?" she whispered once more.

"Emma," Regina mumbled and pressed the eyelids tightly together before slowly opening her eyes. "Emma?"

"I'm here," Emma said in relief and waved her hand, which was now stuck through the hole on Regina's side of the fence. "You had a nightmare…"

Regina nodded, painfully aware of it. She looked at Emma's hand, not pulling away, so she interlaced her fingers with Emma's. Emma smiled and soothed her by running her thumb over Regina's fingers, over and over until she fell asleep again.

The morning came sooner than expected. After that one nightmare, Regina was in peaceful sleep, and woke up with Emma still holding her hand. She smiled softly at the blonde, who was snoring lightly. As if she felt Regina's gaze on her, she cracked one eye open.

"Morning," she smiled sleepily.

"Good morning." Regina replied and it was a good morning indeed. She didn't even remember when was the last time she woke up feeling like this. _Happy_. Even after sleeping on the cold hard ground in pine needles. But holding onto what mattered the most. Or who.

"Thank you for staying with me," Regina whispered sheepishly.

"Ditto." Emma replied with a smile and squeezed Regina's hand. Only then they realized they still hadn't let go of each other.

"I hate to say it, but I will have to go… Judging by the sun, Morgana is already awake and probably looking for me…" Emma groaned and wished she could curse the woman who held her captive.

"You should go then. I don't want any more injuries to happen to you." Regina said in serious tone and reluctantly let go of Emma's hand.

"Believe me, me neither." Emma grinned.

"So, tonight again?" Regina asked hopefully, picking herself up from the ground.  
"I prefer to say 'today', because we'll come earlier, right?" Emma asked, hoping for positive answer.

"Definitely."

They both appeared at the same time, when the sun was still high up. They settled on their usual spots, just a little bit closer than before. So close that they could just reach out with their hands and they would touch.

"So how did we start getting along?" Emma started with a smile.

Regina smiled at Emma's straightforwardness. "We went through a lot. We had to save Henry, because he was kidnapped by Peter Pan to Neverland."  
"And we saved him." Emma said with absolute certainty.  
"Together, yes. Because our magic was stronger-"  
"_OUR_ magic?" Emma jumped into Regina's speech.

"You discovered you have magic too. And you asked me to help you and teach you. Maybe that helped us bond as well." Regina said and when she looked at Emma, she found out that the Princess had been staring.

"What is it?" Regina asked and couldn't control her lips spreading into a smile.

"I don't have magic." Emma stated and her voice was strange, as if she distanced herself.

"You do."  
"No, I don't. Morgana tried to make me do magic and I couldn't. You've made this up."

"Emma, please, listen to me. It happens sometimes that you lose the ability for a period of time, after a big change, trauma or so. I've been there and you helped me to get it back." Regina explained in pleading voice.

Emma eyed her suspiciously, but she couldn't not trust the woman, no matter how she wanted to. There was something about her, some kind of bond drawing them together and something was telling Emma that she isn't lying.

"How did I do that?"

"You… you touched me." Regina said almost shyly and averted her eyes.

"Just that? Touch me then," Emma said and pushed her hand through the fence.

"I don't know how it works Emma, maybe this won't work. Magic is emotion…" Regina said, but touched Emma nevertheless.

Both of them felt warmness spreading through their veins after the touch. But no magic.

Emma sighed in disappointment. "I will never get out of here."  
"You will, I promise." Regina said nearly desperately, but she was sure about that. She would never leave her there.

Emma nodded and got lost in thoughts.

"But breaking the curse reunited you with your parents." Regina jumped back into the story telling to distract the sadness in Emma's eyes. "You already knew them, Mary Margaret – Snow White - was your friend and you lived in her apartment, so you-"  
"Why did you try to kill my mother?" Emma asked out of nowhere, as she put another puzzle pieces together in her mind.

"I was angry and thirsty for revenge, because… she told my mother about Daniel. That I loved him. And my mother appeared the night we wanted to run away together, and she-… you know the rest of the story…" Regina said apologetically.

"Makes sense." Emma nodded. "Sorry, you can continue. So I was reunited with my parents and?"  
"Well, you continued being the sheriff, dealing with whatever fairy-tale catastrophes fell upon us… You crushed my relationship with Robin Hood by bringing back his dead wife-"  
"What?" Emma asked with confusion.

"Zelena – yes, THE Zelena – opened a time portal into past, and you wanted to save Marian from being killed by Evil Queen… So you brought her with you to the present."  
"I'm sorry…" Emma cringed and dedicated Regina a puppy eyed look.  
"You apologized enough…" Regina sighed and smiled encouragingly. "And then you told me you just wanted to be my friend. And that kind of settled the things between us."

"But what about Robin?" Emma asked, digging in the dirt with the tip of her shoe.  
Regina sighed and hid her face in her hands. "It's complicated. Marian was actually Zelena undercover and he… got her pregnant. And then we started to figure things out again but in the end… I broke us."  
"Why? Wasn't he enough?" Emma lifted her gaze to meet Regina's.

"Oh Emma… If you remembered, you probably wouldn't ask like this… You never said anything, but it was obvious you didn't like us together. Which is alright, because I didn't like Hook either." Regina scrunched her nose at mentioning the pirate.

"Who?" Emma asked, confused about the new character in the story.

"Your boyfriend. Pirate. Killian Hook." Regina said and resisted to sarcastically add 'handless wonder'.

"Do I love him?" Emma asked and kicked into the pinecone on the ground.

Regina shrugged. "You told him so."

"But?" Emma raised her gaze to Regina's.

"Why do you think there is a 'but'?"

"Because you said it like that, I can see that you're not saying everything." Emma explained with one shoulder shrug.

Regina remained silent. And she was sure she wouldn't voice those theories and assumptions forming in her head.

"Does it have to do something with why and how I ended up here?" Emma pressed on.

"Yes. There was a curse, coming for me… But you sacrificed yourself. For me." Regina whispered sadly.

"Why are you sad about it? I probably didn't think you deserved this." Emma said soothingly.

"You didn't know what would happen, nobody did. You could have died. All for the Evil Queen who ruined your life." Regina said in a low voice, avoiding Emma's eyes, not wanting to let her see it all – all the emotions, all the pain and despair when she saw Emma disappear into thin air and no one knew if she was alright let alone alive.

"Don't say that. If I felt like that, I wouldn't do that. I might be the Saviour but I wouldn't sacrifice for someone I hate. You've changed Regina, I know that." Emma tilted her head and watched the woman in front of her shifting from the ball she curled up into.

"Thank you…" Regina sighed and after a pause she added: " But that's the last thing that happened."  
"You can tell me more about the things in between, about the fairy-tale catastrophes you mentioned." Emma smiled encouragingly, because she knew what Regina meant. She knew what she felt. She had explained Emma everything, and she still didn't remember. There was hope that she would remember the sacrifice or the recent events, but now that this was over, the hope was fading too.

"But what if you still don't remember?" Regina whispered anxiously and searched for Emma's eyes.

"I will." Emma said and finally, finally took Regina's hand into her own again.

They stayed like that for several minutes, in long, yet comfortable silence, caressing each other's hand with their fingers.

"It's getting late," Regina whispered in low voice.

"I don't want you to go." Emma said quickly before she realized she was speaking and her cheeks flushed into light tone of pink.

"I don't want to leave." Regina smiled and brushed her thumb over the back of Emma's hand. She let go of her and lay down on the ground, Emma mirroring what she had done.

"Goodnight Emma," Regina smiled as she watched the green eyes closing under the heaviness of sleep dawning on the blonde.

"'Night Regina. And sweet dreams."


	11. Chapter 11

AN: So here we have a longer chapter because I couldn't stop myself. I hope you guys will like it :) Thank you very much for every review, it means the world to me!

Regina woke up in the morning, her shirt sticking to her body with dry sweat and she noticed dirt behind her nails. She turned to the side to look at Emma, but she wasn't there. Attack of sadness and a hint of panic overwhelmed Regina instantly and she shot up into sitting position. She noticed a small package on the other side, something wrapped in a cloth or possibly apron. But she didn't pay it much attention, she just needed to see Emma. Her eyes were raking around until she spotted her.

Emma was angrily pacing by the fence quite far away.

"Emma?" Regina called out, but her voice was still hoarse from her sleep. She tried once again. "Emma?"

The blonde immediately turned to the direction of where Regina was sitting. A smile spread across her face and she took off running towards her.

"Good morning! I see that you finally woke up," Emma said cheerfully as she plopped down onto her knees, facing Regina.

"Good morning," Regina smiled at her and scooted closer to the fence.

"I brought us some breakfast," Emma said and unwrapped the package, revealing a half of bread loaf. "I'm sorry it's nothing special, I couldn't sneak anything more out…"

"No it's alright, dear," Regina smiled and reached out with her hand to the fence to take Emma's. But instead she got all of the bread. She shook her head and tore the bread in half, handing one piece to Emma.

"No, it's alright, you need more energy." Emma waved it off, but Regina pushed the bread into her hand.

"We're sharing." Regina decided and only then Emma accepted with a lopsided smile.

"Thank you." She said as she took a bite.

"Where have you been?" Regina asked and motioned with her head to the direction Emma was only minutes ago.

"Oh yeah, I was… scanning the fence." Emma shrugged casually, not looking at Regina.

"You looked angry." Regina pointed out. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Yeah… " Emma casted her eyes down. "I was…"

"What was the reason?" Regina asked compassionately.

"This stupid fence." Emma spat, but her voice softened when she continued. "You had some nightmares in the night you know… But there were two that I just couldn't wake you up from…" Her mind was filled with pictures of Regina sobbing, squirming and pleading in her sleep.

Regina gave her a sad look. She remembered that Emma woke her up four times from various nightmares, not only about Daniel. No one had ever done that for her.

"Thank you for being there." Regina said and let her hands with the bread fall into her lap.

"I couldn't be there! This stupid fence didn't let me!" Emma kicked the fence in anger and frustration.

"It's alright Emma, you've already done more than anybody else has ever done," Regina whispered shyly and her gaze shifted away from the blonde's face.

"I just wish I remembered…" Emma said and closed her eyes, focusing intently.

Regina watched Emma and a tear escaped her, running across her cheek. The doubts were clouding her mind and fear creeped all through her. She didn't know what she would do if Emma didn't remember. She took a quick deep breath.

"Emma… Just before you sacrificed herself, there was one thing you said to me, do you even faintly remember?"  
Emma shook her head and left her eyes closed, even tighter than before.

"You said 'You worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed.'" Regina said with despair in her voice. She kept watching Emma's features for a hint of something, for a hint of remembrance or at least familiarity. But nothing. Just a lip bite and two sad green eyes focused on her.

"But there's no happy ending for me in a world where you are not." With that confession Regina broke down. Tears streamed freely down her face and shoulders shook as she sobbed. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned her head on them, hiding behind the curtain of her hair.

Emma's insides twisted at the sight of Regina in pain. She clenched her fists and shot to her feet. She had to get behind the fence. No matter how. She didn't even try to climb, because the higher the fence went, the sharper and more like blades it became.

She began pacing angrily along it again. It looked as if a wild animal was trapped. There was no way to stop her frustration and anger building up inside her. She faced the fence and her hands smacked forcefully against the cold metal. And something happened. Emma's eyes widened and she took a step back. She looked at her hands, seeing nothing, but _feeling magic._

She tried to gain some control over her powers. She aimed her palms against the fence and focused with her eyes closed, her mind depicting what she wanted to do. Make a hole in the fence. She felt tingling on both of her palms and suddenly a force came out and it knocked her on the ground. She fell with a heavy huff. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the fence. There was a hole. Smaller than intended, but enough.

Emma got up to her feet quickly and snuck out through the hole and ran to Regina, wrapping her arms around her in instance. Regina flinched in surprise and fear, but when she saw Emma, her eyes widened and mouth fell opened.

They both sighed at the contact. Regina took her chances and snuggled Emma's neck, the blonde caressing her back and whispering into her ear.

"It's gonna be fine, trust me."

Regina just nodded against her neck and unintentionally wiped some of her tears against Emma's skin. But no new tears came. _It's gonna be fine_.

Regina pulled away and offered a sad smile. Emma softly landed her hands on Regina's cheeks and wiped the tears away with her thumbs.

"You miss Henry, don't you?" Emma asked in quiet voice, as if Regina could fall apart if she spoke louder.

"Yes… And he misses us both."

At that Emma felt tears forming in her eyes too. "What if we start over? Take me home and maybe I remember with Henry or my parents?"

"It doesn't work that way Emma… You can't get away without remembering first…" Regina whispered with a sight and wrapped her arms in a loose embrace around Emma, who was still holding onto her.

"But… You can't stay here forever… I wish you would, really, but… Henry needs at least one of his moms…" Emma said and looked into Regina's eyes with heart wrenching intensity. The closeness between them made their hearts skip a beat when they felt their warm breaths mixing.

Regina's lips parted and she took in one deep shaky breath. "Emma, no…"

There was no need to finish that line.

_I'm not leaving you. _

Emma knew what she was going to say. She knew because it was her biggest wish at the moment. For Regina to stay.

Their lips met in a warm sweet kiss, kiss trying to say what was unspoken, what was felt.

They felt a heat, forming and cumulating in their chests until it exploded and radiated as a flash of white light, around and away from them.

They slowly pulled away and opened their eyes.

"We broke the curse." Emma whispered breathlessly. "I remember!"

Regina looked at her with a shocked face, but Emma smiled and leaned closer, capturing Regina's lips with her own once again for a brief moment before letting go again.

They sat there on the ground between pinecones and pine needles, wrapped in each other's arms. Regina's lips widened into a heartfelt smile and Emma couldn't remember a time when she looked this beautiful and captivating. She was looking into Regina's eyes and then a chuckle escaped her.

"What was that?" Regina asked with her eyebrow shooting up.

"Nothing, nothing," Emma grinned and tried to wave it off.

"No, tell me, you're obligated to-"  
"Obligated, Your Majesty?" Emma raised eyebrow with amused smirk.

"I saved you from the claws of a dark curse, if I remember," Regina said smugly and loosened her hold onto Emma to pull away slightly and look deeply into her eyes.

"Yes, you are my Saviour. How ironic." Emma grinned teasingly.

"Ironic indeed." Regina nodded and then nudged her softly to her ribs. "Now what was it?"

"Ah, nothing. It was just a feeling." Emma shifted and connected her hands behind Regina's back.  
"What feeling?" Regina couldn't help but smile widely at Emma.

"A warm feeling in my stomach, felt… nice. If I had to go cliché, I would say butterflies." Emma laughed shyly and when she lifted her gaze, she saw Regina looking at her lovingly.

"I felt that too." Regina smiled and caressed Emma's upper arm.

"But…" Emma started thinking and her cheerful expression fell. "Robin is your true love-"  
"He is not. Tinker Bell came to me with an apology for that. She said she was right about the place, but it happened to be in different time than the one when my True love was supposed to be there." Regina explained and at that Emma's expression unexpectedly fell even more.

"What's the matter?" Regina whispered and put her finger under Emma's chin.

"It's nothing, don't worry 'bout it." Emma dismissed it, like she did with most emotions.

"Emma, talk to me." Regina pressed and lifted Emma's head with the finger under her chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes.

"It's just that I _saw_ that Robin doesn't make you happy enough, so I dared to be in his place, because I knew I would try my best to give you the world, but now there's someone out there, who's destined to be with you and I'm just standing in the way…" Emma explained sadly, what was weighing her heart down.

"Emma, listen… Maybe I don't want that. Maybe I don't want forced 'True Loves' anymore. Like Daniel wasn't forced. Maybe for once again, I want to_ choose _for myself. Like we have chosen each other repeatedly, many times in the recent past, I want to choose you again." Regina said and added an encouraging smile, which seemed to work on Emma.

"Okay," Emma smiled shyly. "Now, what are we gonna do to get back to Henry? How did you even get here?" she added with confusion.

"Tinker Bell gave me two magic beans." Regina explained and Emma jumped in immediately.

"Great! Let's go home!"

"Actually, there are issues I have to take care of before." Regina stopped her excitement and was absentmindedly drawing patterns on the back of Emma's hand.

"Which are?" Emma smiled as she was watching their joined hands, like they were made for each other, fitting perfectly.

"I have to obtain the necklace Morgana is currently in possession of." Regina said with a purse of her lips. "I hoped you could help me defeat her, with your magic…"

"Yeah, no problem. Do you have any plan?" Emma asked before repositioning her numb leg under Regina, cradling the woman closer.

"I want to save Zelena. She deserves a second chance too." Regina thought out loud and Emma just nodded in agreement. She was proud of Regina and of how far the woman had come since they had met. She let her hand caress Regina's upper arm again and she finally looked at her again.

"Are we just gonna barge in and kick her ass?" Emma suggested with a grin, which found its way to mirror on Regina's face.

"There's nothing much to do otherwise. After we defeat her, we will free the army of men and boys she kidnapped and we'll take Zelena with us to Storybrooke." Regina decided that much for their plan and Emma sneaked from underneath her, offering her hand to help her up. Regina accepted the offer and Emma pulled her up with too much strength, so their bodies clashed into each other.

Emma grinned apologetically and Regina placed a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

"Let's go."

They sneaked through the hole in the fence and walked side by side to the main gate to the castle.  
There were two grown up men in dark metal armours, guarding the entrance. Before they could even react to seeing two intruders in front of them, Regina threw them into unconsciousness with one flick of her wrist. When they fell limp on the ground, Emma gave her an afraid look.

"Just unconscious." Regina assured her, because she knew exactly what went through Emma's mind. She knew Emma believed in her, but there was this one moment of fear that the Enchanted Forest had an effect on Regina that sent her reverting to her old ways and mindlessly killing people without batting an eye about it.  
Emma stepped forward and opened the heavy wings of the gate, following Regina inside. The corridor they found themselves in had high ceiling, everything was made of dark marble, decorations in colours of black as ocean depth and green as seaweed.

Regina was pursing her lips again and Emma threw a questioning look her way.

"She has no style whatsoever." Regina shrugged and Emma couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Regina used her magic to get nearly a dozen guards out of their way until they reached what they guessed was Morgana's main chamber.

"So do we like knock or?" Emma asked as they stopped in front of the door in silence.

Regina shot her one of her 'don't be an idiot' looks and lashed out with her right arm, opening the door in front of them. The sight in front of them was centred on the giant throne of dark metal, with Morgana sitting comfortably on it.

"YOU!" she screamed out angrily and pointed to Emma. "You haven't done your duty very well… your destiny awaits you… And it's not a pleasant one…" Morgana smirked devilishly as one tentacle lashed out and wrapped tightly around Emma's body, lifting her off the ground.

Regina's lips parted and her pupils widened. She spotted the guards running towards her and another Morgana's tentacle aiming her way. She conjured a fireball and threw it in the direction of Morgana's crawling tentacle. The sorceress hissed in pain and jerked away, which gave Regina time to knock the guards unconscious with a simple spell.

Her focus became on Morgana only. She sent another fireball, carefully aimed, to the tentacle holding Emma. The fire burnt the nerves of suckers on the bottom side of Morgana's tentacle, so she lost the capture of her victim and Emma fell on the floor with a dull thud.

"Emma!" Regina shouted, her eyes wide open with fear.

Morgana used that situation to throw a spell Regina's way, which sent her flying backwards, hitting the wall. A muffled shout escaped Regina's lips as she felt ice-cold chains tight around her wrists. Morgana let out a triumphal cackle while Regina was squirming.

"Well well well, isn't this the famous Evil Queen? Pleasure to meet you, really. Thought you would be stronger." Morgana snickered as she walked closer. Regina gave her a death glare and stopped moving.  
Emma supported herself on her arms and tried to lift herself up from the cold floor. She checked the situation and found Regina bound to the wall. She stared at her with surprise, shocked that Regina did absolutely nothing to fight Morgana. She raised her arms and sent a bolt of light magic at the sorceress. It certainly caught her off guard, she wasn't expecting that, but her tentacle found its way around Emma's waist again in a heartbeat. This time Emma didn't give up. She focused all the magic, all the emotions she felt, all the need to protect Regina and she tried to free herself.

And Morgana busied herself with Regina.

"I tried to get you here, to get you on my side. We could have run the world. You should have chosen the right side. Because now I am the queen of this land and you will bow down before me." She said with overly precise pronunciation.

Regina just smirked to her face. "How many times have you rehearsed_ that_? You lack refinement of a Queen, dear."

And that was the moment she fought back. The chains around her wrists started getting red until they caught on flame and fell off, freeing Regina. At the same time, Emma finally succeeded in breaking herself free as well, which caught Morgana by surprise and she turned around to Emma.

Regina's and Emma's eyes met and they exchanged a nod. Both pairs of arms raised and two flows of magic hit Morgana at the same time. She was squirming under the blow, but was powerless. Her body fell to the ground, unmoving.

"We did it," Emma said with the same hint of wonder she had after every time their magic saved the day.

"Yes, we did." Regina let out a deep breath and kneeled next to Morgana. She reached behind her neck and unfastened the necklace, shoving it into her pouch with money and tucking it into her cleavage.

Emma watched the action with parted lips and not even batting an eye until Regina rose back up and maintained eye contact with her.

"Something wrong?" Regina asked casually and Emma snapped back into the reality.

"Nope. No. Let's go free the boys." she spouted and stepped out towards a door, expecting Regina to follow.

But the Queen stayed at the place and coughed softly to get Emma's attention.

"Emma? The prisons are _that_ way." She pointed to different direction than Emma was heading, so the blonde turned on her heel and made a little walk of shame back to Regina, expecting mocking from her. But the brunette took her hand and pulled her closer, caressing Emma's cheek. Then their lips met in a brief kiss before they both pulled away and their hands let go of each other. But the smiles they exchanged, those spoke for everything.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma followed quickly behind Regina as she opened the heavy door to the dungeon with jail cells. There was no light whatsoever. Regina turned her palm up and created a fireball floating above it, lightening the space.

"Uhm… how do we open the cells? We have no key- and there are no keyholes." Emma turned to Regina after inspecting the cells.

Regina tilted her head and a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she waited for Emma to realize.

"Yeah, magic, right." Emma nodded and held up her hands, focusing on her magic with closed eyes. Nothing. "I can't do anything?"

Behind the bars of the cells closest to them, there appeared a face of a young man.

"There's no magic in here… It only worked here when Morgana had the necklace…" he explained with exhaustion colouring his voice.

Regina used her free hand and with a flick of her wrist, all of the cells opened. Except for one.

"You can go." Regina called out and at that, all the fathers, sons, uncles, and grandfathers carefully walked out of their cells. Before they even passed Emma and Regina at the entrance, Emma stretched her arm out and stopped the men mid-tracks.

"Wait. You won't even ask who saved you?" she asked incredulously and the men ticked with their gazes to her, to Regina and some to the ground. Emma put her hand gently on Regina's shoulder.

Regina turned to her and her eyes were full of emotions Emma couldn't quite decipher.

Emma turned back to the men. "Regina. Just so you have a new turn to the story about 'The Evil Queen'."

All the men looked at Regina, indeed recognizing the features of the feared queen.

"She is good now?" an older man asked uncertainly.

"She's a hero now, yes." Emma said proudly and Regina's gaze dropped to the ground.

"T-thank you." A boy, about Henry's age, said and Regina looked up at him and smiled.

"You're welcome."

After that, more thank yous resonated in a low murmur through the dungeon. Regina nodded with a smile and only then Emma let her arms fall back along her body, so the men could leave. And they did. When the room became abandoned, Emma and Regina walked to the locked cell. Two eyes sparkled dangerously behind the bars.

"Zelena." Regina addressed the prisoner.

"What do you want?" British accent drawled over Zelena's lips.

"Morgana cursed you and erased your memory to make you her puppet. We want to take you where you belong." Regina explained in her business-like voice. Emma just stood by, watching the scene and waiting for Zelena's reaction.

"That's not true, we cooperated to-" Zelena started protesting fiercely.  
"Is that why you are imprisoned?" Regina jumped in with a smirk. She knew she had just won. "We will take you home and make you remember. And give you a second chance, if you _cooperate_ with us."

"And how can I trust you?" Zelena spat back at Regina, eyes shining with fury.

"It's either that or you rotting here forever. Morgana's dead." Regina spoke in low, calm voice, which was unsettling Zelena quicker than a regular threat.

"Alright." Zelena nodded and Regina opened the cell with her magic. Zelena walked out, keeping her head high, not showing any signs of defeat.

"Good. Shall we?" Regina motioned to the door and Emma nodded. As they were walking, Emma picked up the pace and joined Regina's side, leaning close to the brunette.

"Regina? Where are we going?" she whispered so Zelena wouldn't hear her.

"Just outside the castle to create a portal." Regina answered and briefly looked over her shoulder to check if Zelena was still there.

"And what will happen with her when we get back? Are we gonna lock her down again? Does she even know she's pre-"

"I don't know yet…" Regina admitted with a slight shrug. "We shall see."

Zelena was following them silently, cringing when she saw the lifeless body of Morgana. Emma caught that gaze and slowed down to walk next to Zelena.

"Sorry about that… but you really wouldn't work with her if you had your memory, you know?" Emma tried apologizing, but Zelena didn't even look at her, let alone spoke to her. Emma sighed exasperatedly and joined Regina's side again.

They walked out of the castle in silence, following Regina until she stopped under the stairs to the entrance gate. Regina reached into her cleavage for the pouch and fished out a silver magic bean. She turned around to Emma and Zelena.

"Shall we?" she asked and both of them simultaneously nodded.

Regina dropped the bean into the dust and took a step back, between Emma and Zelena. She looped her arm through Zelena's, to make sure she would go with them and not stay behind. She intertwined fingers with Emma's just to feel safe. And they jumped in.

Landing was hard.

Regina's mind was focused on the centre of the town, but the image must have collided with any of the two remaining ones, because they didn't land there.

Instead, Regina felt dirt and pine needles under her palms as she pushed herself up. She looked at Emma who let go of her hand because of the thud, and wordlessly checked if she's okay. Emma gave away a little smile and nod and Regina nodded back.

"Zelena, you alright?" Emma asked as she rose to her feet and was pulling Regina up.

"Of course." The red head said curtly. She tried to push herself up, but her legs buckled and she ended up on the ground again.

"What's the matter?" Regina came closer and kneeled next to her sister, noticing a swollen ankle. "You're hurt-"

"Oh really? I wouldn't have known without your genius information." Zelena snapped at her.

"Calm it down Zelena." Emma warned her quickly before Regina could say a word. "Before we figure out how to help her, Regina, where are we?"

All of them took time to look around.

Zelena's eyes glimmered with mischief, her lips spreading into a smirk.

"I know the way out," Regina stated neutrally and met Emma's surprised gaze.

"You do? We are in the middle of a deep forest, Regina? Everywhere are the same trees, how do you know where we are?!"

"What do you think I did all those years before Henry?" Regina's lips spread into a smirk that faded into a sad smile. "I know all the woods-"

Crack of a branch.

All three of the turned to the source of the noise. Regina prepared a fireball, not knowing what the situation was like after disappearing of the two people who held Storybrooke together.

A person stepped out from behind a tree, holding their hands up, eyes lacking any signs of threat.

"Marian?" Regina let the fireball vanish.

The brunette nodded and her arms fell along her body. "So you saved her."

Regina met Emma's eyes and they shared a heart-warming smile. "I guess I did."

Marian smiled politely, before quickly looking around with her eyes. "I wouldn't expect you _here _though."

"What are you doing here in the woods?" Emma asked with furrowed brow.

"Living. I'm used to that." Marian shrugged and adjusted her quiver over her shoulder.

"Yeah, but not alone?" Emma pressed.

Marian looked into her eyes, then looked at Regina and after that locked her gaze with Emma's again. "I have my reasons."

"I'm sorry, Marian," Regina stepped in, but Marian held her hand up to stop her.

"You were not cheating on your wife." She said resolutely and the topic was obviously over. She looked over Emma's shoulder at the person crouched on the ground behind. Her eyebrow briefly shot up.

"What is it?" Emma asked, looked at Zelena and then Marian.

"Well… The town wants her head on spike." Marian said simply and it drew surprise on both Emma's and Regina's faces.

"May I ask why?" Regina was the first to gather her thoughts.

"After you two disappeared, she paid a visit to Storybrooke – twice – and destroyed a lot… and one of the nuns paid with her life when she got in her way." Marian explained while eyeing Zelena. "But I have seen her before, and I know she was a villain, but this wasn't her. There was something different in her eyes and her posture-"  
"Morgana wiped her memory clean and made her her own puppet." Regina explained in return and Marian nodded in understanding.

"Leave her here with me before you settle things in the town. I will keep an eye on her." Marian said and locked eyes with Zelena. "And help her heal her ankle."

Emma and Regina exchanged looks in silent question. Emma half shrugged and Regina casted her eyes down with a sigh.

"Thank you, that would be a good idea." Regina turned to Marian, who smiled in response.

"It will be nice to have a company for a change."


	13. Chapter 13

AN: I know that Marian should be dead and that it was Zelena all along, but… I didn't like that idea, so I decided to ignore the canon and just go my own way, so Marian's alive and so is Zelena. ;)

Emma and Regina walked away from Marian kneeling next to Zelena after being assured that it was really alright.

They were walking in silence, Emma turning her head around from time to time to check up on the weird pair they left behind, until she lost them behind all the trees.

Then she discreetly eyed Regina by her side. She seemed tense.

"You alright?" Emma asked and softly brushed her fingers against Regina's forearm.

The brunette let out a shallow sigh and shrugged.

"What are you thinking about?" Emma tried again, tilting her head and unintentionally giving out a puppy eyed look.

"Henry." Regina stated simply and continued staring in front of herself, her steps carrying her almost mechanically.

"Marian said he's alright…" Emma started reassuring her, but stopped suddenly. "Wait. That's not what you're worried about. You're worried about what he will say about us?"

"What if he doesn't approve? What if we disappoint him?" Regina voiced her fears and Emma noticed that she allowed herself being weak in front of Emma. Again.

"Hey, I don't know as much about fairy tales and Enchanted Forest as you, but… when there was true love, there never were any obstacles with people accepting it?" Emma said and she knew she was right. And that she had never felt this hopeful and in love. Not even with Neal.

Regina finally looked at her and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm not gonna stop trying." Emma said and Regina's smile grew a little wider.

"I have intense feeling of déjà vu, Miss Swan." Regina teased and they both broke into a grin.

"I have kept my promise so far, Madame Mayor," Emma raised her eyebrows and then shook her head. "Man, we're a pair."

In that moment, Emma felt Regina's fingers intertwining with hers, sudden tug and then their lips crashed together.

After a while Emma broke into a smile and Regina pulled away.

"Something funny?" she raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow, still holding onto Emma's hand.

"I don't think true love's kiss is gonna fix our town, plus we already used our one shot-"

Regina rolled her eyes and silenced the "overly humorous" blonde with another kiss.

"Now let's go," Regina whispered against Emma's lips and then stepped out, dragging Emma behind herself until she caught up with her pace.

"What do you think we will find?" Emma asked and mindlessly caressed Regina's hand with her thumb.

"Storybrooke in various stages of ruins, ran by the two idiots who are outright incompetent and not able to fix the damage." Regina snarled and Emma laughed at the fact that no matter the situation, Regina was still the bureaucrat and Mayor she dealt with after coming to Storybrooke all those year ago.

"You know, if you want them to accept us, you should stop calling them 'the two idiots'," Emma warned with a playful smile.

"Does it matter? Snow will see this as a perfect revenge against her-" Regina shrugged with a smirk.

"Wow, this story has gained quite a dynamics!" Emma laughed and Regina couldn't help but join her.

Regina knew all the shortcuts, so it took them only another few minutes to get to the edge of town. Regina tapped her fingers nervously against the back of Emma's hand and she felt a reassuring squeeze in return.

"If you want to keep it secret until we figure it out, we can do that, you know?" Emma stopped them mid-tracks and tugged at Regina's hand to turn her face to face.

Regina studied her gaze and saw nothing but sincerity. She didn't have superpower like the blonde in front of her, but she could read her as well. "I suppose it would be easier that way."

Emma nodded with a smile, because she understood. She leaned in and locked their lips for the last time before breaking the contact and letting go of Regina's hand.

"But I want to be there when you tell Robin." Emma grinned and walked out towards the town centre. Regina shook her head in amusement and briskly followed her.

When they got closer to the centre of the town, they stopped and looked around. There were many buildings damaged and burned, black ashes covering the walls. There were holes in the pavement and bricks torn from buildings lying around. Some buildings were half-smashed and the clock hands were hanging off the clock tower.

But the town wasn't abandoned.

Emma had look of confusion plastered on her face as her eyes followed a group of nuns in white dungarees stained with paint.

"Your mother always had a _charming_ way to manipulate people into cooperating." Regina remarked at the sight. "Talking about her, we should find her and ask-"

"Pun intended?" Emma asked with a smirk forming on her lips.

"Excuse me?" Regina turned to her with puzzled expression.

"We have to FIND my mother who has CHARMING ways to manipulate?" Emma emphasized with a grin and Regina waved her off.

The closer they were to the Mayor's office, the more people they could see, so they were sneaking around, not wanting to be noticed and cause a disarray. Which was exactly what they cause when they walked into the office.

"EMMA!" Mary Margaret shouted and ran from the desk overflown with papers, squeezing Emma in a tight hug.

"Hi Mom," Emma squeaked and threw a look at Regina, who was standing by. "Where's Henry?"

"He's safe, with David. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Mary Margaret said, pushing Emma at arm-length and inspecting her to see any injuries.

"I'm absolutely fine-" Emma said and Mary Margaret nodded impatiently, turning towards Regina.

"Regina, thank you for saving her, you're a hero. How did it happen?"

Emma's and Regina's eyes met and slight blushes crept into their cheeks. Regina cleared her throat first.

"That is a matter for another time. Now – what happened to the town and why the hell didn't the fairies or Gold fix it?"

"Because Gold isn't here, he… disappeared with Belle who is trying to make him the man he was before, restore their true love-" Mary Margaret started with a dreamy smile.

"And the fairies?" Regina pressed impatiently.

"After Morgana and Zelena left, they just couldn't do any magic, Blue has been working on trying to find out why and how to break the spell."

Emma was listening with furrowed brow, lifted her hand and summoned grilled cheese into the palm of her hand.

"I think magic works just fine," she said and took a bite, when the other two women turned to her. Regina tried to create a fireball – and without a problem she did.

"Either way we need to kick-start their magic-" Emma pondered, only to have Regina jump in.

"Or that shady bitch is plotting something. I never trusted her."

"You mean Blue?" Mary Margaret's eyes widened.

"Indeed I do." Regina said and turned to Emma. "First we see our son and then repair the town?"

"Agreed, Mom, where's Dad and Henry?" Emma turned from Regina to Mary Margaret, wiping the in-love look away from her own face.

Mary Margaret looked anxiously at Regina and remained silent.

"What is it? What's going on?" Emma asked and looked between them all.

"They're in your vault Regina, I'm sorry, I know it's invading of your privacy-" Mary Margaret started babbling and explaining in hurried voice.

"That clearly is," Regina growled and felt the anger rise in her chest.

"-but Henry was worried about you two and insisted that maybe there's something in your books that could help." Mary Margaret finished quickly, but the look in her eyes was the same scared look Regina saw when Snow was a child. And the anger immediately dissipated at the three words.

_Henry was worried._

Regina didn't wait for anything else, took Emma's hand into hers and poofed them away.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Hi dears, I'm so sorry for the extra long delay, I have been a bit busy, you know, holidays, but I'm back and I promise to finish this story, I won't abandon it, just have patience with me please. I want to give a big hug and thank you for anyone who stayed loyal even after my lack of updates. You're awesome guys. Hope you're all having a nice summer! 3

Emma and Regina appeared in front of the vault, rushing in. Only when Regina had to move the tomb, she realized she was still holding Emma's hand and that it felt so natural she hadn't even noticed. Emma was thinking the same thing, because she sent a sheepish smile her way before letting her hand slip out of Regina's.

Regina ran down the stairs, Emma quickly following behind. And there he was, their son with his nose in a book, brows furrowed in Emma-like manner as he focused on the magical words.

"Henry." Regina and Emma said at once with a relieved smile.

"Mom! Ma! You did it!" Henry shouted and jumped up, running into the awaiting embraces.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked as she caressed the hair in the back of his head, something she had started doing when he was a baby and never stopped.

"Absolutely, but how about you two? What happened?" Henry asked eagerly, pulling away from the hug to inspect their looks.

"Where's David?" Emma asked first and looked around.

"Fell asleep a while ago, should I wake him up? He will be excited to see you!"

Emma and Regina exchanged looks in silent conversation ending in nods.

"Let him sleep a while longer." Emma said and looked at Regina, because she knew Regina was better at talking about emotions, even if just a slightly.

"Henry, we have to tell you something." Regina said and felt Emma's body heat next to her, so close that they were nearly touching. "About what happened."

Henry nodded and let her continue.

"You know whose curse it was, don't you?" Emma asked.

"Morgana's and Zelena's?" Henry remembered the two witches appearing together more than once.

"Morgana took hold of Emma and wiped her memory clean, expecting her to be her puppet for magic and destroying, so she wouldn't get her hands dirty." Regina explained and Emma jumped in.

"Well she originally wanted Regina, so no wonder she was angry when I couldn't do any magic."

"You couldn't do magic and didn't remember anything?" Henry asked in surprise and Emma shook her head. "Then how did Mom even? How did you find her?"

"A maiden helped me with directions to the castle and then I saw Emma in the garden. And when I found out she lost her memory I-… I started to make her remember, told her about her life and about you and she still couldn't remember."

"Of course, because there's only one magic more powerful than anything else." Henry smiled wittily and both women's eyes widened. "You gave her True Love's Kiss, didn't you?" he looked at Regina, who looked at Emma for help.

"It was kind of both sided thing." Emma shrugged with a shy smile.

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed with a grin.

"So you're okay with this?" Regina asked with insecurity colouring her voice.

"Sure, it was about time." Henry smiled and pulled them both into another hug.

Emma put her hand over Regina's and ran her thumb across it in soothing manner, offering her a smile Regina could only reciprocate.

_It was okay._

"Henry," Emma said and pulled away. "Will you be able to keep this a secret for a while?"

"I know that you have blood of Snow White running through your veins, but if you could- ow!" Regina's smirk was wiped off as Emma nudged her in the ribs.

"Hey! Could we drop gossiping about my Mom?" Emma grinned and shook her head.

"I doubt it, since she is running this town in very poor manner." Regina deadpanned with a victorious smirk.

"Are you gonna fix the damage, Moms?" Henry jumped into their banter with a smirk looking so much like Regina's.

"Yeah, we just came to check up on you kid, and now we're off-" Emma looked sideways at Regina for confirming nod.

Regina wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulders, pulled him closer and kissed him in his hair, which was becoming more and more difficult as he grew.

"Let's go?" Emma smiled and outstretched her arm for Regina, who slipped her hand in Emma's. One final look at Henry and they poofed away.

They appeared in the middle of the town, just at the spot where the curse captured Emma.

Regina didn't wait for anything, her hands were up in the air, drawing complicated patterns and flows of purple magic shining through the air, repairing the damage around them. When Emma got a hold of herself again, she joined Regina with her silver flashes of magic.

In no time, the town was mostly repaired and most of the residents' attention was drawn to the centre of town where magic was happening.

With every second there were more people and more surprised and delighted shouts of "Emma!" and "She's back!".

Emma was looking around with a smile and her heart felt warm, like home. Suddenly she staggered as someone hugged her from back, unintentionally clashing into her with a thud.

"Emma! Oh thank god you're back! Why didn't you wake me up?" David exhaled happily and Emma patted the arm wrapped around her torso. "Good to see you too Dad."

He pulled away with a smile plastered to his face. "We were so worried."

Emma didn't know what to say to that, but he patted her shoulder and left to stand next to Mary Margaret, who came by as well.

Emma turned around to Regina, whose eyebrow was raised in amusement to which Emma could only shrug in response before they both broke into matching grins.

"You did it!"  
Regina turned to the source of the sound and saw Tinker Bell with wide and proud looking smile, striding towards her.

"Yes, we did." Regina smiled in response. "Thank you. For the beans-"  
"So did you figure out where I made a mistake?" Tinks asked mischievously with a tilt of her head.

"I think we need to talk, fairy." Regina said in a sassy tone, but the softness of her smile gave her away.

"You did!" Tinker Bell beamed happily and took hold of both Regina's forearms. "You've found your happiness!"

"And we would prefer if it could stay secret for a while until we figure out the disasters this town had suffered." Regina said quietly in warning, but Tinks nodded in understanding.

"Of course."  
"But there's something else we need to discuss," Regina stopped her, when Tinks pulled her hands away.

"Uh, sure?" Confusion spread across the blonde's face. Emma turned around to look at Regina and stepped in for help.

"Do you have magic?" Regina went straightforward to the core of the problem.

"No, not right now, who told y-"

"Who did it?"

"We don't know, probably Morgana – why would anyone from Storybrooke want to take away all the magic?" Tinker Bell asked and it was obvious that she trusted that version.

Emma wrapped her fingers around Tinks' upper arm like she had done all the years ago when she kick-started Regina's magic. "Try something."

The fairy flicked her wrist, but nothing happened. Emma looked up, meeting the gaze of Regina, who was now closer to them, her brows furrowed.

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in frustration.  
"Why? What is it?" Tinker Bell pressed as she took step closer to Regina.

"Morgana is not that strong with her magic. If she had taken your magic away, a touch of somebody with working magic would restore it." Regina explained and Tinks' eyes widened.

"Are you saying someone from here had done it? But who would do that?"

"Really?" Emma interfered with voice blending sarcasm and frustration.

Tinker Bell turned to her. "You know?"

"Take a wild guess, Tinker Bell. It's a matter of trust. And there are some people difficult to trust." Regina said, not breaking eye contact with the fairy.

"Mr Gold?" Tinker Bell asked and her gaze flew from Emma to Regina and back.

"We have been informed that he isn't here, is he?" Regina said in slight annoyance and Emma touched the small of her back, just briefly with the lightest of touches.

"Wait," Emma interfered as she felt a tingle of magic travelling from the tips of her fingers up her arm. "Regina, you try it. Touch Tinker Bell."

"Why?" Regina asked, but obeyed.

"Tinks, try something." Emma ordered and the fairy nodded, turning her palm upwards. A pouch with fairy dust appeared in her awaiting grasp.

"It's working." She said in bewilderment, a smile appearing on her face.

"I think it's the necklace. Maybe Gold would know how to restore the magic…." Emma pondered out loud.

"But who did it?" Tinker Bell pressed.

"We'll see…" Regina said mysteriously, intertwined her fingers with Emma's and poofed them away again.

When the surroundings finally stopped spinning, Emma took a steadying breath and looked at the building in front of them. The convent.

One simple questioning look thrown at Regina got her an explanation.

"I thought we should squeeze her a little." Regina shrugged and stepped forward. Emma immediately followed, with a smirk gracing her lips. Suddenly Regina halted mid-tracks and outstretched her arm in front of Emma to stop her too.

"What-"  
"Ssssh!" Regina pointed towards the convent and Emma listened closely only to notice two people standing in front of the door and arguing. She shuffled a bit to see more.

Mr Gold was standing there with Blue, but the words couldn't be deciphered from their distance, so all that was left was body language. They were obviously arguing. Only after few seconds, Gold lost his temper and pressed Blue against the wall, his forearm under her neck.

Emma gasped and looked at Regina, needing help in inner conflict of 'Let's see where this goes' and her Saviour role. Regina's gaze told her to choose the first.

They didn't have to wait for long. Not even two minutes later, Gold let go of Blue, who fell to the ground and massaged her neck while coughing. The man strode away. As he was walking past the bushes where Emma and Regina had been hiding, the former queen addressed him.

"Didn't you wipe fairy dust off her wings?"

"Ah, Regina, you're back with the Saviour, I see… Do you have your part of the deal?" Gold asked with his usual sly smile.

"What is happening here?" Regina asked instead of answering his question.

"Dangerous deals with wrong people. Now, where's the necklace?" he insisted, squinting his eyes.

Regina fished for the pouch between her breasts – not very refined for a queen Emma would say if she could stop staring – and handed over the necklace. Gold looked over his shoulder to the place where Blue was standing just a moments ago before hiding into the convent.

"With this, I will crush her like the moth she is," he smirked with obvious pleasure and Emma couldn't resist asking any longer.

"What actually happened in the town? Why is there no magic? And why the hell was half of the town in ruins?"

"As I said, dangerous deals with the wrong side. Now if you excuse me," Gold said, typically avoiding answer, and then just left.

Emma turned to Regina with incredulous look. "I- don't have any idea what is happening."  
"From my point of view, I would say that Blue allied with Morgana without even needing the curse, wanting to take over this town too. What would happen to the citizens is still a mystery, but for some reason Gold didn't like it and the necklace is going to help him have upper hand over the fairy." Regina explained her train of thought about the possible villainous plot.

"So like… 50 Shades of Shady Blue?" Emma grinned and raised her eyebrow.

"You've been waiting to use this terrible pun for a very long time, haven't you." Regina narrowed her eyes, but the corners of her lips betrayed her in a little smile.

"Maybe." Emma grinned in response and Regina just shook her head.

"Hey, we could try asking Belle about all of this? Maybe her boyfriend let something slip?" Emma suggested and Regina immediately liked the idea of possibility for finding out more.

"Let's."

And Emma automatically slipped her hand in Regina's to let her poof them both away.


	15. Chapter 15

Regina took them right in front of Gold's pawnshop. She tried the door handle, but it was locked. Emma pressed her nose at the glass and looked inside, shrugging.

"Looks like nobody's there… Maybe she's in the library?"

"Maybe, yes." Regina nodded and offered her hand to Emma, who hesitated.

"It's not that far, we can walk there," she said and to avoid seeing Regina's face she already stepped out in the direction towards the town centre. Regina quickly caught up with her and slipped her hand in Emma's anyway, without even looking at the blonde. Emma's lips spread into sheepish smile and squeezed the hand in hers in a loving gesture.

They were walking in comfortable silence and warmth spreading through their veins. The first and only thing that disrupted their peace was actually one of them. Regina tugged at Emma's hand fiercely and pulled her into an abandoned street they were passing by. A surprised gasp slipped past Emma's lips before Regina turned it into a moan by pulling Emma into a kiss. They melted into each other as if it was the most natural thing they had been doing for ages. Maybe this was the magic of love they needed to feel. Comfortable and understanding. _You can't love somebody you don't understand._

They parted only when the heat was leaving them breathless. Emma looked into the dark eyes that only mirrored the love she herself felt. She couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her lips and she pulled Regina closer until their noses were touching.

"You're amazing. This is the best twist of fate ever, screw Ariel's love at first sight." Emma said and Regina joined her in free careless laughter which made her look like the life hadn't left her with so many scars and wounds, even if that effect lasted only for few seconds. Emma loved seeing those sparkles in Regina's eyes and swore to herself she would try every day for the rest of her life to make her laugh and see the light buried under all the hurt.

"We should probably go," Regina said and pulled away though still staying in Emma's personal space.

"Oh my god I totally forgot about Belle! You're so distracting," she mockingly scolded Regina while she put a hand on the small of her back and led them back to the main road.

They were afraid of people seeing them, so their hands stayed separated this time. Not that it helped to hide the affection they held for each other.

Out of sudden there was a wave of magic coursing through the town and disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked with a puzzled expression.

"Gold." Regina guessed and picked up her pace in the last few meters towards the library, knocking at the door loudly.

"You know you can just walk in, it's public-" Emma said but Regina was already striding inside.

"Oh, Regina, hello… Emma? Good to see you back!" Belle beamed as she saw the blonde appearing behind the Mayor and her expression transformed into a sly _knowing_ smile.

"Hi," Emma smiled back, but cut right to the core of the reason they came. "We need to ask you something-"  
"Where is Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked impatiently.

"He went to the well with the necklace, he wants to restore the magic." Belle answered, looking proud that her husband was on the side of heroes this time.

"What happened? Who took the magic?"

"Morgana of course-"  
"What was the deal with Blue Fairy in this?"

"Wow, you know a lot." Belle looked in amusement at both of them.

"Only pieces we're trying to put together," Emma smiled shyly and shrugged.

"Mother Superior joined Morgana's side without a question." Belle affirmed Regina's theory.

"But what was this all about? Why did Blue join Morgana? What did even Morgana want?" Emma jumped in, barely stopping the flow of questions whirling through her head.

"Well, Morgana was always jealous of her sister-"

"Ursula." Regina explained, been through this conversation once before.

"Exactly. So she tried to conquer as many kingdoms as she could to prove herself better than her. Concerning Blue Fairy, we don't know – but nobody ever had with her." Belle finished with a slight tilt of her head.

Regina and Emma nodded, processing the information in their heads.

"Thank you so much Belle." Emma said and Regina joined.

"Yes, thank you."  
"I'm glad that I could help." Belle smiled and furtively inspected the pair in front of her. "But how did you two break the curse?"

"That's a longer story for another time," Emma said as she saw Regina taking in a sharp breath and tensing. "Uhm, one last question. When we were on our way here, we felt a wave of magic… was that – was that it? Was that the magic brought back?"

"I felt it too, but no, that was not it. Rumple said that what he was—is about to do will be more like a tsunami, more fierce as a reaction to this kind of curse." Belle hesitated for a while before adding: "But this wave felt very familiar to the one when you kissed Henry and broke the curse."  
"True love's kiss," Regina breathed and thought about all the couples in Storybrooke who could have shared this one.

"I actually thought it was you two, when you showed up together only seconds after…" Belle admitted and revelled in the blushes creeping to the women's cheeks.

"No, it was not- we didn't-" Regina stuttered but Belle didn't let her suffer longer.

"You know, people aren't entirely blind. You two belong together. And I am pretty sure Emma doesn't use lipstick." Belle tapped at her upper lip and Regina turned in horror to see that Emma indeed had a smear of Regina's lipstick on and slightly above her upper lip. Without thinking, she cleaned it off with her own thumb and Belle only chuckled.

"So in love. Don't worry, I'm a vault until you want to tell. But people already suspect it, just so you're warned." Belle grinned at the couple who was at momentary loss of words.

"We should go… check up on-" Regina started, throwing a look at Emma, who understood immediately.

"Yeah we definitely should. Thanks Belle, see you around!" she greeted way too loudly and stumbled quickly out of the library with Regina close behind.

"Well that was embarrassing-" Emma said but broke into laughter again.

"How can you be still so cheerful?" Regina looked at her incredulously.

"Because she was okay with it? Which is awesome because I won the first prize," she smiled cockily and Regina couldn't supress her eye-roll.

"You have very low standards if you call the Evil Queen the first prize," she muttered sarcastically and Emma kissed that attitude off her lips.

"I was talking about you, all in all. And you're not even evil now, so shhh."

Regina half-smiled at that and slid her hand down Emma's arm before interlacing their fingers.

"When I said we should go check up on Zelena, I meant it, we don't know what will happen when she has her magic back."

"Oooh that wasn't just excuse! You've got a point. Let's go." Emma said, squeezing Regina's hand.

"You try it."  
"What?" Emma stared at her in surprise.

"You try poofing us there." Regina explained as if she hadn't spoken clearly before.

"What if I fail? What if I hurt us?"

"I taught you and I trust you. Now do it, we don't have all day." Regina pushed her with a teasing smile, watching in silence as Emma closed her eyes and concentrated with all of her being until their surroundings blurred and they disappeared.

They fell hard, but Emma could feel pine needles under her palms so they had to be in a forest at least. She lifted herself up and jumped to her feet, helping Regina up by tugging at her hand.

"Thanks dear." Regina said and looked around. "Not bad, we're two minutes of brisk walk away from them."

"I'm still fascinated at how well you know these woods." Emma looked at her in astonishment.

"Maybe the bandit Regina wasn't that much of an opposite of me, was it?" Regina smirked at the memories of their weird adventure of twisted fates.

"Maybe not." Emma agreed and picked up her pace to walk side by side with Regina. "Would you trade it though?"  
"Mm, what?" Regina looked at her, awaiting further explanation.

"Well, if Henry didn't interfere with the story… would you rather be a bandit, finding true love with Robin Hood after crashing his wedding?"

"No." Regina didn't hesitate answering. "Not even for a minute."

Emma smiled at her and kissed her cheek clumsily while keeping on walking.

"You would?" Regina asked, giving Emma opportunity for lightening the mood with a joke.

"Without a doubt, because being locked in a tower, knowing everyone's gone crazy, talking shit about me, not knowing where our son is and then having you not remember me, yes that is definitely what I am aiming for in my life." Emma used very Regina-like eye-roll before hearing the brunette laugh and joining her.

Their laughter was torn by the magic wave, which really felt like tsunami and shook the ground a little.

They exchanged wide eyed looks and ran towards the place where they left Marian and Zelena a few hours ago.

"Hey, shhh!" Regina whispered and stopped them mid-tracks. Emma looked at where her gaze was aiming and spotted the same.

An arrow flew through the air and missed the target of about a feet.

The two women's laughter filled the air.

"But this time I was close!" Zelena said in a playful tone, Marian only shaking head.

"Only because I was guiding you!" she laughed and lowered the bow, Zelena still holding onto it. Marian was standing behind her, their bodies flushed together. Zelena turned around so she was facing Marian and let go of the bow, circling her arms around the maiden's waist, pulling her closer. The bow fell on the ground and Marian wrapped her arms around Zelena's neck, pulling her down for a kiss.

Emma's clumsiness had to make itself known right at that moment, because she slipped of the root she was standing on and a yelp escaped her before she could stop it.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked in worried voice, helping Emma up.

"Yeah, totes. Thank you."

"Who's there?" Marian called out and aimed the bow towards Emma and Regina.

"Just us again!" Emma called out and Marian let the bow fall by her side again. Emma and Regina walked from behind the trees towards the couple.

"Came to check up on us, sis?" Zelena asked, tilting her head.

"Well, yes." Regina admitted. "Now that the magic's back, we wanted to make sure Marian was alright."

"I am, more than that." Marian smiled lovingly at Zelena, who wrapped her arm around her waist as they were standing side by side.

"You two… are together?" Emma asked, looking at them with a small smile creeping on her lips.

"Everybody deserves a second chance." Marian said and felt Zelena's hold on her tightening.

"The True Love's Kiss… that was you?" Emma asked and the couple in front of them blushed slightly, Marian leaning her head against Zelena's shoulder.

"Indeed," Zelena said and kissed Marian into her hair.

"I just don't get it!" Regina suddenly burst out in frustration. "Are you really getting your redemption with Robin Hood's ex-wife?!"

"Get of your high horse, sis, the Evil Queen lured the Saviour into her arms, that is much more absurd than this," Zelena deadpanned with a mischievous smirk. "Yes, you two have it written all over your faces that you're together."

"Congratulations," Marian smiled sweetly. "Everyone deserves their happy-ending."

"Except for Robin Hood apparently," Zelena chuckled.

"Yeah, we lured both his wife and girlfriend away from him," Emma grinned in sudden realization. "Poor guy."

"Well as long as we keep our girls happy, I frankly don't give a damn about him." Zelena shrugged and Emma nodded in agreement. She looked at Regina with a smile and eyebrow rising in silent question.

"Of course you make me happy, you idiot," Regina shook her head with amused smile playing at her lips and sneaked her hand into Emma's.

"So what's gonna happen with you two?" Emma asked, gesturing towards the new lovebirds.

"We thought we could stay here for a while and just… enjoy our everyday lives?" Marian looked at Zelena for confirming nod before continuing. "How about you?"

"We will have to put the town back in order," Regina sighed and then looked at Emma as she felt squeeze on her hand. "And then explore the true love the curse opened for us."

"Damn right," Emma smirked and resisted the urge to kiss her girlfriend, only because she somehow knew she wouldn't be comfortable with public display of affection, not yet anyway.

"Well then, maybe you should go," Zelena said, subtly implying for Regina and Emma to leave them alone and stop third and fourth-wheeling.

Emma caught that hint and couldn't help another grin creeping to her lips. "Of course we should. 'Gina, let's go, your turn in poofing us away. Good luck in all, you two."

"Same back at you." Marian smiled, affectionately scratching Zelena's back.

Regina and Zelena just nodded goodbye, one not finding the right words, second trying to keep herself from purring in contentment.

Regina turned to Emma, who was already not so subtly staring at her with that loving gaze, and in a second, everything was spinning as Regina poofed them away.

They walked into Charmings' apartment, separating their intertwined fingers.

"There you are!" Mary Margaret exclaimed and squeezed Emma in a hug. "We were just talking about that we should have a family dinner tonight to celebrate everything!"

"Uhm, everything?" Emma asked with puzzled expression and pulled away from the tight embrace.

"Yes! Regina saving you," Mary Margaret dedicated a thankful smile to Regina who was standing behind Emma, silently watching the scene. "Getting the magic back, defeating the villains once again, you two finding true love-"  
Emma and Regina both immediately glared at their son sitting in the armchair. "Henry!"

He just lifted his arms in surrender and calming gesture. "I didn't tell anybody, I swear!"

"Snow is just really perceptive when it comes to True Love," David said proudly and wrapped arm around his wife's waist.

"Yeah thanks for not making us uncomfortable, guys," Emma said, her tone laced with embarrassment and sarcasm, making Regina chuckle. Emma turned to her and saw the love in her eyes, with no signs of caring about anything else.

"We will attend the dinner surely, not like we have a choice anyway, do we?" Regina smirked and took one step forward, so she was standing next to Emma. Mary Margaret just shook her head.

"You said the magic is back?" Emma asked, trying to change the topic and shoo all the curious gazes off them.

"Yes, that was the last thing I've been told at the Mayor's office, which is now gladly left for Regina again." Mary Margaret said with exasperated sigh.

"Maybe I should go check up on the office and events that had passed…" Regina mused out loud.

"Yeah, I think you could use the Sheriff around… " Emma said as they were turning to the door already. "See you guys in the evening!"  
"And BEHAVE, Moms!"

Henry laughed out loud at the stern gazes he received from his Moms at his remark.

Emma closed the door behind them and sighed. Regina locked their gazes and took a step dangerously close, so close that they could feel their body heats mixing without really touching.

"The office will be abandoned, right?" Emma asked with a voice shaking from the intensity of her feelings towards the woman in front of her, who was driving her crazy as much as keeping her sane.  
"I will take care of it," Regina whispered before capturing Emma's lips in a sweet, sweet kiss and poofing them away.

All was well.

_And it was just the beginning._

* * *

AN: So this is it. I have no idea why I had such a need to pursue the idea of Wicked Maiden, I've never written or read fanfiction about them, but I couldn't get rid of the idea how cute they would be together :)) (and I hate Robin, Marian deserves better) Also I didn't expect to make this "more complex", "more adventurous" story, like include Gold and Blue and all, because I don't think I'm good at managing all of that, so I hope it made sense and didn't entirely suck :D

So I just want to thank you all again for reading this story and supporting it, it turned out much longer than I expected, but I enjoyed every bit of the way [the length was only my fault, but if any of you are familiar with procrastination, you understand why it took this long]. :)

Special thanks belong to:

LauratheChef for leaving a comment after every chapter – girl, you were one of the biggest motivators. Thank you :)

LyzzSQ same for you girl, your reviews made me smile and made me continue, thank you ;)

amy wood 581 thank you dear for giving me the idea of including Zelena into this story and for motivating me all along!


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